Prophecy
by MadamKabooshkwa
Summary: War has plagued the Night World for centuries now, and hope of survival is dying quickly. Their only hope lies in the old prophecy about a young man who will lead them to victory. Between avoiding being murdered, betrayal and forced into a world he knows nothing about, how does Syaoran hope to survive?
1. The Night World

**This is the story i've been reworking. Hopefully there are some people out there who will like it :)**

* * *

In the middle of nowhere stood a small deserted village. The village itself had been destroyed-houses were crumbling, stone eroding and there was not a single sign of life anywhere in the village, except for a young woman who stood in the villages centre.

She looked stunning in her navy-blue gown and black velvet cloak. Her eyes were the colour of deep emerald, and her face a soft oval shape. Her short auburn hair framed her face and the rest was hidden beneath the hood of her cloak.

She gazed sorrowfully at the remnants of the stone fountain in front of her, reminding her of the war her world was in once again.

"My Lady?"

She turned her head and made eye contact with her handmaiden. The young woman standing before her had short platinum blonde hair that hung in ringlets around her oval shaped face, and her eyes were a beautiful shade of blue. She too wore a black velvet cloak to protect her from the chill of the freezing cold air.

"Oh, Akiho. Are we to leave already?"

Akiho nodded. "Lord Kei wanted me to let you know."

"I see. Thank you." They began walking, the snow crunching beneath their feet. "Is there something you'd like to ask me, Akiho?"

Akiho looked at her feet feeling a bit embarrassed. "Is it true? About the prophecy?"

The young woman sighed softly. "Are you referring to the one about the destruction of our people?"

"Forgive me, but with what has happened here..." Akiho murmured.

The young woman shook her head softly. "No, it's understandable. So many of our kind are dying-so many of the bluebloods are disappearing-and my family are included. It's only natural to be scared." She replied gently.

"So, the prophecy is true? But-But what about the prophecy about 'him'?" Akiho asked with despair.

"I do not put all of my hopes and dreams into prophecies, and I bid you well not to either, Akiho. There is always hope in the future."

Akiho's face fell as she struggled to understand what her superiors' words meant. "Yes, My Lady."

They came to a stop in a clearing where two men stood. One wore a pair of round spectacles on his face, his eyes the colour of sapphires and his hair dark. The other had sandy brown hair and cold, dark piercing eyes. Like the two women, they wore cloaks as well.

"Sakura-you're late." He spoke with disapproval.

"I'm sorry Kei. I didn't realise I had a time limit." Sakura replied smoothly.

"You could have been injured-or worse! You've seen what those hunters have done!" Kei continued.

Sakura blinked calmly. "Yes, I realise what has happened here. Thank you for your concern, but I am perfectly capable of protecting myself, thank you." She replied as she passed him.

He and the other two followed after her. He caught up to her and walked beside Sakura while the other two walked behind them.

"So, what have you heard of 'him'?" Kei asked irritably.

"Judging from that tone of yours, I'm going to guess that you're referring to the one mentioned in the prophecy." Sakura spoke dully.

Kei didn't answer, so she continued. "The man we're seeking is still human. He was raised away from our society, and therefore knows nothing about us. He'll need to have the blue blood within him awakened."

"So, he doesn't know about the prophecy?"

Sakura eyed Kei for a minute as she detected a hint of hope, and then returned her attention back to what was in front of her. "No, he doesn't. At least, not that I'm aware of."

Kei nodded, and Sakura noticed that he looked a little relieved.

"You'd jump with joy if the prophecy never came true and you were the one that led our people to victory, wouldn't you?" she said suspiciously.

"I'm merely thinking about what is best for our people. I want nothing more than to see you and our people safe." Kei answered.

"Is that so?" Sakura murmured. Part of her doubted that was true. She knew how Kei could be-and giving him further power could be disastrous.

They came to a stop at a carriage that was being led by four, monstrous horses, each with demonic red eyes and sharp looking teeth, while their bones jutted out of their skin.

"My Lord?" the man with the glasses spoke.

"Yes, Eriol. I know. Sakura, I have a message to deliver so I will be back at the castle late. Head on without me." Kei spoke.

"Very well." Sakura murmured.

Eriol opened the carriage door for Sakura, and she stepped inside to take a seat. Akiho climbed in after her, then Eriol closed the door and took a seat at the front of the carriage. Kei stayed where he was on the ground, watching as the horse-like beasts took off into the night.

Sakura glanced out of the window briefly to find that Kei was gone from where he had been standing just seconds ago. She sighed heavily and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them again and watching the scenery of the Night World pass her by in a quick blur of colours.

...

-REALM OF HUMANITY-

Obnoxious beeping invaded Syaoran's dream that morning. Irritated that his sleep had been disturbed, he blindly reached out for the annoying clock to turn it off. Eventually, after knocking almost everything off his bedside table, he found his mark and succeeded in turning the demonic device off. He groaned and rolled onto his side, wishing for more sleep. But that plan his sleep addled brain had come up with was soon thwarted by the sound of another alarm going off.

 _'Oh, for fucks sake.'_

This time he sat up and looked around his room for the second device. He quickly spotted it on the other side of the room, briefly wondering which arsehole had put it there before remembering it was himself, his own idea, to ensure that he actually got up on time for his morning class.

Annoyed, he kicked back the blankets and stood to amble over to the second alarm clock and turn it off. He glared at the clock with distaste for a moment, and then proceeded to yawn as he headed for the shower.

Syaoran was not particularly good with mornings. He had always had trouble waking up for school when he was younger, but back then he had his father there to kick his ass into gear. However, it had been quite some time since his father had been around. Six years ago when Syaoran was at the age of seventeen, his father had died, leaving him behind. Syaoran considered himself lucky as his father had also left the house to him as well as his fortune, so he didn't have to work if he didn't want to. However, he worked part time at a cafe to pay for anything he wanted, using the money his father left him only for bills and food. Now, at the age of twenty-three, he was in university studying psychology and criminology.

Shutting off the water, he dried and dressed himself in jeans and his favourite forest green hoodie, his dream still at the forefront of his mind. The scenes from his dreams felt so familiar and yet so distant, like a long-forgotten memory or something that was missing from his life. The scenes of old European architecture and crumbling stone that reminded him of the eighteen hundreds.

Shaking his head, he walked out into the kitchen to get himself something to eat, passing a picture of his parents holding him when he'd been born. He grabbed some bacon out of the fridge and two slices of bread, then proceeded to make himself a bacon sandwich. A squeaky meow sounded, and a small feline curled around his leg.

His cat Sora was a fluffy dark tortoiseshell, her fur nearly black, and her eyes were a pretty blue. The little cat had come to live with him the day he had found out his father had died. He'd found her sleeping at the front door when he had gotten home from school that day, and she had stuck to him like glue ever since.

He smiled and knelt to pet Sora, and the little cat climbed up onto his shoulder where she liked to stay. She purred happily while he ate his sandwich, his mind wandering.

At some point he looked at the clock and swore. Gently, he put Sora down on the ground and grabbed his bag before rushing out into the freezing winter cold. Winter was his least favourite season and he hated that it was so hard to warm up, but thankfully for him that morning, he had to sprint to the station if he wanted to catch the train on time, making for an adequate warm up.

He swore as he got on the train with just a second to spare, panting from his run. People stared at him but he ignored it-he was used to being stared at. His eyes were an unusual shade of amber and his messy hair a dark brown. He knew he was attractive from the way women looked at him when he passed them by.

When they finally arrived at his stop, Syaoran rushed out onto the platform with a bunch of other disgruntled and restless passengers and took the stairs two at a time. He rushed out of the station and then down the street to his right. It didn't take him long to reach the university campus where thousands of students dressed in all kinds of attire roamed. He headed straight for the east building and rushed up the seventy-two stairs in record time, finding his class was still waiting outside the lecture hall. He sighed heavily with relief-the last four times he had been late and had to sneak into the lecture theatre.

He spotted his friend Eriol and walked over. Eriol raised his brow in amusement. "Wow-new record."

"Shut up," Syaoran panted.

Eriol laughed, "Your ability to wake up on cold mornings is as non-existent as ever, I see."

"Who can blame me? I'd rather be warm than freezing." Syaoran muttered.

"Hm, well, yes. A lot of people seem to enjoy winter though." Eriol mused.

"Anyone who enjoys freezing is a psychopath." Syaoran added, "I just want the warm weather back."

Eriol snorted.

Their lecturer arrived, and all of the students slowly filed in to take their seats. Syaoran and Eriol sat at the back as usual; Syaoran pulled out his notebook and pen and Eriol did the same.

"How are those dreams of yours?" Eriol asked.

"What, are you my psychologist or something?" Syaoran frowned.

Eriol rolled his eyes. "No, you idiot. I'm just concerned."

Syaoran felt himself relax. "Well, I'm still getting them." He murmured. "They're getting more vivid with each passing day."

Eriol was quiet for a long minute.

"You don't have to look so concerned." Syaoran muttered, "They're just dreams."

"But I have to be concerned." Eriol sighed dramatically, "After all, you're dreaming about me."

"Oh, piss off." Syaoran snapped and Eriol laughed.

Syaoran turned his attention to the front, starting his first class for the day.

…

Syaoran was starving when he got out of his three-hour lecture. Eriol had another class to get to, so Syaoran headed off to the campus food hall to grab something to eat. He bought himself some hot chips to eat and a hot cup of coffee before sitting down to eat. He still had an hour until his next class, so he didn't have to rush which was a relief.

While eating, though, he felt the familiar feeling of being watched and he looked around. He spotted a man who looked to be around his age sitting on the other side of the hall. Syaoran felt that he had seen this person before but couldn't quite remember where. The more he thought about it, the more his mind continued to draw a blank.

Syaoran shook his head. _'You're being paranoid.'_ He told himself.

That had to be it. He didn't know many people and he certainly didn't know the person he thought was watching him. But...the nagging in the back of his mind was telling him he recognised him for whatever reason. Maybe they had a class together? He couldn't remember. Maybe it was something else. He looked back over but found the man was gone. Syaoran frowned and then shrugged his shoulders as he went back to eating his chips and drinking his coffee.

His classes finished late that night, like they always did on a Monday. He hurried to the train station, but unfortunately something had happened on the train line, so the train wasn't running.

Syaoran swore and grit his teeth against the cold. Frustrated and freezing his butt off, Syaoran left to head to the nearest bus stop three blocks away. The night sky was clear of clouds and it was a new moon, but Syaoran had no issue with seeing where he was going. After all, he was in the city and there were streetlights everywhere.

But even if there had been no streetlights, he still would have been able to see clearly. He had always been able to see as clear as day in the dark. Though, whenever he had mentioned that little fact to his peers or teachers when he was younger, he was often told that couldn't be possible. It had always annoyed him, so eventually he just didn't bother mentioning it to anyone.

As he walked, Syaoran felt the hairs on the back of his neck raise and the uncomfortable feeling of being watched or followed-or both. He picked up his pace and continued down the brightly lit street but came to an abrupt stop as all the lights suddenly went out.

"A power outage?" he wondered with a frown as he looked around.

Either way, it was still unsettling. He was about to start walking again when he turned his focus back to what was in front of him, only to be startled by someone standing in front of him. It was the guy he had seen at the food hall watching him earlier that day.

"Err, excuse me please." Syaoran went to move around him, but the man continued to bar his way.

Frowning, Syaoran tried again and was stopped again. He looked at the guy in front of him with irritation. What was his problem? When Syaoran tried to walk around him again, the man grabbed his arm. Syaoran tried to pull his arm free, angry.

"What the hell do you want?" Syaoran snapped.

He didn't want to fight if he didn't have to. His father had trained him in martial arts, so he could protect himself if need be, but he didn't like fighting with people. Ready in case the man tried to start anything, he waited, but he didn't even see what was coming. All he had done was blink, and suddenly he was on the ground knocked unconscious.

...

-THE NIGHT WORLD-

Sakura stood in the middle of the castle courtyard watching the stars, her gaze shifting to the man approaching her. Kei was carrying someone over his shoulder, and he unceremoniously dumped the man on the ground in front of her.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Did you have to be so harsh?"

"Relax, Sakura. He's out cold." Kei answered coolly.

"Precisely." She quipped.

A look of distaste showed on his face. "Do you really care so much for a mere human?"

Anger burned in Sakura's radiant emerald eyes. "You and I both know that he is not a mere human. He is a blue blood, like us."

"Tsk. You deal with him then." He spat and then proceeded to head inside.

Sakura rolled her eyes and walked over to where the human man lay and knelt beside him. She couldn't help but notice how handsome he was with his long lashes and muscular build. She reached out to trace the line of his jaw with her fingers, and the she brushed some of his dark hair from his eyes.

Gently, she lifted his head in her arms and leant in. The smell of his blood was almost intoxicating, but she restrained herself, reminding herself that this man was a blue blood just like she was. After a moment, she leant in further and sank her teeth into his neck. His blood tasted just as sweet as it smelled, like honey, but she pulled away and let his head rest in her lap while she waited.

She savoured the taste of his blood and silently mourned that she may never get the chance to drink it again.

...

It was agony. His body felt like it was on fire along with knives digging into his organs. What the hell was going on? He wondered if he was dying. No, that couldn't be it. He was feeling so much pain, so he was definitely alive. But for how much longer?

Then, the pain began to subside.

Slowly, feeling returned to his limbs and his throat burned with a strange new thirst. Soft fingers caressed his cheek and he opened his eyes to find himself looking up into a pair of gentle emerald eyes. She was beautiful, like a goddess, and her gaze was kind. She lifted her wrist up to his face and the smell of vanilla and cherry blossoms flooded his senses, causing the thirst in his throat to intensify.

"Go on," she spoke softly.

He looked at her with a mixture of fear and confusion. She smiled kindly, and somehow it was enough to put his mind at ease.

"It's okay. Take my blood-it will ease your thirst." She spoke softly.

Syaoran hesitated. What the hell was going on? But he couldn't resist the urge. Instinct took over him and he sank his fangs into her wrist-her blood flowed freely into his mouth. It tasted wonderful, like some kind of expensive sweet that you could only have once in a blue moon.

When he realised what he had done, his thirst had subsided, and she was pulling her wrist away.

Syaoran was disoriented. He had no idea what was going on or where he was. He was sure he had been on his way home from university, but now it looked like his was some place in medieval Europe. They were in a castle courtyard-Syaoran noticed the iron gates and what looked like a German castle. There were stone gargoyles decorating the outside of the castle, and the large doors leading inside had strange Latin encryption around its edge. Suddenly he recalled the images from his dreams and frowned.

He looked back to the woman. "Where am I?" he asked apprehensively.

The woman kept her kind smile, understanding that he was wary. "Welcome to the Night World. My name is Sakura, and right now we are located on the outskirts of Cerisia. Oh...I suppose in the human world, it would be Japan."

He stared up at her gentle face. Did she say Night World?

* * *

 **Please drop by a review, I'd appreciate it. See you soon!**


	2. Two Sides, Same Coin

What the hell was going on? Syaoran's brain was spinning with confusion, struggling to understand what on earth the woman was talking about. The Night World? It sounded like some title of a crappy vampire flick.

What was this? Some sick joke?

Who the hell would pull a prank like this?

And then the thirst for blood...

Seeing his distress, Sakura smiled kindly. "Why don't we go inside? It will be more comfortable there."

It was then that Syaoran remembered that they were sitting on cold stone pavement.

"Uh-okay..." he replied.

She stood gracefully and held her hand out to him, but he flat out ignored it and stood on his own. Who the hell was this woman? Did she seriously think she could bite his neck and then act like she hadn't done anything?

He eyed her warily, and if she noticed, she didn't show it. Instead, she turned and headed inside the castle, walking with grace. The way she held herself and walked showed that she was a woman who could take care of herself, and Syaoran got an unusual vibe about her. She was dressed so extravagantly, so he guessed she must be someone of great importance.

His attention then flicked to the plush red carpet on the floor and the tall arched windows. Paintings hung on the walls, all of various men and women and children. They were all beautiful and it was hard not to stare at the surrounding extravagance.

Before he knew it, they were standing outside a door and Sakura gently opened it, walking in with Syaoran behind. He spotted a blonde girl standing by the window that led to a balcony, and she too had an odd vibe.

"Please, have a seat." Sakura gestured to the plush couch.

The room was decorated in white and gold, and a very ornate chandelier hung from the roof. He took a seat, still observing the room.

Sakura sat down across from him, "Akiho, could you please make us some tea?"

"Yes, my lady." The blonde woman replied and hurried to do as she was asked.

Sakura sat and waited, and silence engulfed them. What were they supposed to be doing?

"You must have a lot of questions. Feel free to ask me anything." Sakura spoke gently.

Syaoran didn't know where to begin. What should he ask first? It wasn't until the blonde, Akiho, placed their tea on the table in front of them that he finally decided on a question.

"What the hell do you mean by Night World?" he asked.

Sakura looked thoughtful, like she was thinking about it. "I suppose it's akin to an alternate dimension of sorts."

"What?"

"A more accurate description would be to look at it like two sides of the same coin." Sakura explained, "Time does flow faster here, however."

"Then what is this place? Why was I brought here-what the hell are you?" Syaoran blurted out.

Sakura lifted her teacup to her lips and took a sip before lowering it back onto the plate. "This castle was built thousands of years ago. It used to be owned by an old family who has died out. It's ideal for us because it can be summoned to any desired location." She replied.

"You're joking, right? That stuff isn't possible."

She looked at him sharply. "You've been whisked away to an alternate world and you believe that a castle that can be summoned whenever one chooses is impossible?"

He stayed silent. Satisfied, she nodded.

"It would be best if you stopped thinking of what would not be possible in the human realm being impossible here, as well. This side is not bound by the same rules as the human realm."

Syaoran blinked. "Human?"

"Yes, human."

"Then-What are...?"

Sakura smiled. "I'm sure you've already figured it out."

Syaoran swallowed hard as she watched him from where she sat. He was sure he could see amusement in her eyes.

"Vampires." He finally spoke.

"Very clever." She congratulated him. "However, you and I aren't like regular vampires."

Syaoran groaned. What did that mean?

"We're blue bloods. There are only a few of us left, but we are the rulers of the vampire clans. We're pure blood vampires and our powers are far more terrifying than those of a regular vampire." Sakura continued.

Syaoran only felt more confused. But he was a human! Well, he was, anyway. Irritation started to settle in as more and more questions arose in his mind.

"As for why you were brought here-there's an old prophecy that a blue blood child born under a new moon will lead our people to victory in this war." Sakura added. "Your parents are both blue bloods."

Syaoran sat there with a look of disbelief. "I can't believe any of this. Do you just expect me to swallow your word for it?" he laughed, "You expect me to stay here against my will all because of a prophecy that's probably a load of shit?"

Sakura have him a piercing stare. "Being able to see the future is my family's specialty. And when we have a vision, it always-and I repeat, always-comes true."

"So what? What if I don't want to stay here? I was brought here against my will."

"If you think you can go back to the other side and pick up life where you left off, then you're a fool." Sakura spoke calmly but her words were icy. "If you stay here, you'll get the answers you're searching for. Such as why you were born a human and raised in that world." She added, "And your dreams, too."

"What are you saying?" he demanded.

Sakura sighed softly. "That there is a reason for everything."

Syaoran ran his fingers through his hair. "This is... too much to take in."

"That's understandable. Just know that you are not alone."

He looked up to see a sincere expression which was mirrored in her words. She truly meant that. But...he didn't know what to do. He was in a world he knew nothing about and suddenly had all of this information thrusted upon him. How did he know it wasn't a lie?

Just who were his parents, then? Was the man he knew to be his father even his father? He had to be-they looked exactly alike.

"Wait-you said a child born under the new moon. How do you know it's me, exactly?" he asked sceptically.

Sakura smiled gently. "Well, because you're exactly as my mother described, and you're the only blue blood to have been born under a new moon in... a very long time."

He sighed heavily. "You know more about me than I do."

"Yes."

"How?"

"I have dreams of the future. I said so just before."

"That can't be the only reason."

Sakura stayed silent and refused to say anything further on the matter as she drank her tea. A knock sounded at the door and Akiho answered it. Then, someone Syaoran recognised immediately stepped into the room.

"Ah, Eriol. Has everything been organised?" Sakura asked.

"Yes, My Lady." He replied.

"Good. I'll leave him to you, then." She said and then stood, "Good night."

Syaoran watched as she headed for a small staircase and then turned his attention back to Eriol.

"You look terrible." Eriol spoke.

"You don't say?" Syaoran snapped.

Eriol laughed. "Follow me, I'll show you to your new quarters."

"New quarters? What about my house?" Syaoran frowned.

"Oh, your belongings are already here. Same with your cat." Eriol shrugged.

Syaoran groaned and stood to follow Eriol. "So, you're a vampire too?"

"Yes."

"Why did you pretend to be a student then?"

Eriol laughed. "I would have thought that would be obvious."

Syaoran frowned. "You were sent to spy on me."

"Well, it was more to keep watch over you."

"Yes. Spying."

"If it helps, I do think of you as an actual friend. My first impression of you was that you were a little slow, but you're the sharpest person I know."

Syaoran stayed silent. He didn't know what to say or do. He was shocked to find out that his best friend was a vampire and so were his parents.

"Here we are." Eriol murmured.

Syaoran looked up to find they were standing in front of a set of double doors, much like the ones from Sakura's chambers. Eriol opened one of the doors and stepped inside, holding it open for Syaoran. Syaoran thanked him and looked around, surprised to see that the room was just as extravagant as Sakura's was.

"Your bed chambers is just up those stairs there."

Syaoran turned his head to where Eriol was pointing and spotted the small staircase. He nodded, and then a small squeaky meow sounded from his right. A familiar black fur ball came running towards him and brushed up against his leg.

He bent down to pick her up and Sora purred happily as he gave her attention.

"I guess I'll leave you be, then." Eriol said.

"Sure..."

Eriol turned and left, leaving Syaoran confused and anxious. With a sigh, Syaoran headed for the small staircase leading up to his room. It was large-nearly three times the size of his bedroom back at his house-and again there was a chandelier hanging from the roof. The room was decorated in neutral colours and gold, except for the curtains which were a dark green. A bedside table sat beside the ridiculously large bed and a chest of draws sat up against the wall.

There was a couch in the middle of the room and a coffee table. There was a fireplace in the corner of the room, alive with flame and warming the room.

Sora jumped down onto the green rug as he walked over to the chest of draws. Pulling one of the draws open, he found that all his clothes were indeed there. He felt his neck throb a little, reminding him of the feeling of Sakura's fangs in his neck.

It didn't take him long to find his sleepwear and he changed quickly before walking over to the bed. He was surprised to find that the mattress was very soft and comfortable. The bed itself could probably fit several people in it, and he had the huge bed all to himself. Sora meowed and jumped up onto the bed beside him. Well, he had to share with Sora.

"What the hell do I do Sora?" He murmured as he pet her.

Sora looked at him as if to say, "I don't know", and he smiled.

"Me neither." Syaoran replied, and then he slid beneath the warm blankets after turning out the lights.

...

Sakura lay in bed staring up at the roof, her mind wandering. She felt guilty about how they had ripped the man named Syaoran from the place he had called home and thrusted upon him something incomprehensible. It was selfish of them, but he was the child of prophecy and one way or another, whether he wanted to or not, he would save their people from being annihilated by the hunters.

She guessed that he was probably scared, and she didn't blame him. It would take a while for him to adjust, and if she could help the transition, then she wanted to. He needed to be able to trust someone, and maybe, just maybe she could trust him with everything.

She rolled onto her side.

She wondered why his parents had chosen to raise him as a human and not in the Night World as a vampire.

Was it because of the prophecy?

Her thoughts then flicked to Kei. She knew how angry he was that they had brought him into the night world. He didn't believe in the prophecy, but she knew that he would try to use Syaoran for his own gain and that worried her. She needed to protect Syaoran from Kei.

...

Syaoran woke feeling absolutely exhausted and very confused as he took in his surroundings. Light filtered in through the crack of the curtains, so he guessed it was morning. It took him a moment to remember everything from the night earlier. It hadn't been a dream.

He had been brought to a separate realm and turned into a vampire, and the beautiful vampiress had explained that it was to fulfil a prophecy. And to top it off, his best friend of the last two years had actually been a spy, sent to watch over him.

He groaned. A familiar black ball of fur jumped up beside him and nudged his face, demanding attention. He smiled and obliged her, scratching her behind the ear.

When she jumped off the bed, he sat up and stretched. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. His stomach then growled. Food was a good start, he decided.

Standing, he walked over to the chest of draws and pulled out a hunter green button up shirt and a pair of jeans to change into. Then, he found his shoes and put them on before walking over to the door, but not until Sora climbed up onto his shoulder and happily settled herself there.

He hesitated for a minute, then gently he opened it. He stepped out of his room, closing the door behind him, and then headed down the stairs only two find two people sitting, waiting for him.

They both looked up as he appeared; one was male and the other female, however they both had lavender coloured eyes and black hair. Briefly, Syaoran wondered if they were related. The woman had her long hair tied in a braid over her shoulder and she wore a lavender dress with sandals on her feet. The male instead wore a black suit with purple accents-he looked much like a butler. His eyes held a certain note of wisdom and mischief.

"Uh...hi?"

"Good morning, My Lord." The male replied.

Syaoran blinked with surprise. He wasn't expecting to be addressed in such a manner. "Who are you?" he asked.

This time it was the woman who spoke. "We are your retainers and attendants. My name is Tomoyo Daidouji, My Lord." She introduced herself.

"And I am Yuna D Kaito."

Syaoran cleared his throat. "It's a uh, pleasure to meet you."

"That's a cute cat. What's her name?" Tomoyo asked.

"Sora."

"That's a cute name-may I pet her?"

"No." Syaoran replied flatly.

Tomoyo looked a little disappointed but quickly regained her composure.

"Breakfast will be served soon in the dining hall. You will be joining Lady Sakura and Lord Kei." Tomoyo spoke.

"Okay." He was about to move to head for the door but stopped. "You're my retainers?"

"Yes." Yuna answered.

"Uh huh. Are you two related?"

"Not in the slightest." The two replied.

Syaoran nodded and then continued to the door. They followed him and seeing that Syaoran did not know where to go, they led him to the dining hall.

As they approached, Sakura was just about to head inside until she looked up and spotted them, choosing to wait for him. She was dressed in a beautiful ivory gown that showed off her soft gentle curves.

"Good morning." She greeted with a kind smile.

"Good morning." Syaoran replied.

"You're about to meet Lord Kei." She said, "He's not a pleasant man."

Great, he thought, just what he needed. She gave him a sympathetic smile before turning and heading inside. Eriol nodded to Syaoran and he followed Sakura in with Akiho, and Syaoran made a mental note to ask him about the place later.

Syaoran entered the dining hall to find a very large dining table in the middle. Sitting at the end was Kei, where he believed all leaders should sit, and a few seats down from him, Sakura stood at her chair. As Syaoran approached, he decided to sit across from Sakura. He turned to see where Tomoyo and Yuna were, finding they had stationed themselves against the wall like Akiho and Eriol. He looked around wondering where Kei's retainers were, seeing no one else in the room.

Kei stood as he came to a stop at his seat.

"Lord Kei, I would like you to meet Lord Syaoran." Sakura introduced.

Kei looked Syaoran over briefly-Syaoran guessed that he wasn't what he was expecting-and Kei raised his brow.

"So," He said, walking around the table slowly, "You're the famed child of prophecy."

"Kei." Sakura spoke with a warning note in her voice.

"Sorry Sakura, but I just don't see how a mere human could possibly lead an army. Look at him." Kei's voice was cold as ice.

Syaoran narrowed his eyes but Sakura looked furious. Syaoran got the feeling that Kei did not like him for whatever reason. If it was because his cat was hanging over his shoulder, he was sure Kei would live another day.

"You know Lord Syaoran is no longer human-I awakened his vampire blood, you know that as a fact. He is a blue blood like us-do not ostracise him!"

Syaoran was shocked at how furious she seemed to be for someone who was a stranger.

Kei snorted. "That may be, but he doesn't know our world or our rules. He will never be one of us. And he will never lead my armies."

Sakura glared furiously at Kei. Then, without another word, she took her seat and Kei did the same. Syaoran sat down feeling terribly underdressed in his jeans and shirt and stared at the table in front of him.

He looked up briefly making eye contact with Kei-he saw hatred and contempt in his cold dark eyes, and he didn't fully understand why.

Women dressed in black with veils that hid their identity brought their meals out to them. Syaoran made a note to ask either Eriol or Sakura about eating habits later-initially, he thought that vampires only drank blood to feed themselves, but that didn't seem to be the case here.

The women served them quietly, and briefly he looked up and made eye contact with the woman beside him. She almost immediately looked away, and something in Syaoran's mind was ringing alarm bells.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Here is chapter two, as promised. Big thank you for the reviews, favourites and follows! I really wanted to do something different to the typical "human girl falls in love with hot vampire boy". lmao.**

 **What did you think of this chapter?**

 **See you soon!**


	3. Where There Is Intent, There Is A Reason

**Hey everyone! thank you for the reviews, they were lovely! I intend to upload a new chapter every monday from now on. I'm hoping to get back to writing Unwilling so I can upload the next chapter. The next chapter of Captive Bride should be up soon (fingers crossed!)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Syaoran sat in the large castle library reading up on the history of the Night World and the clans his parents were from. It was what he had spent the last week doing in an attempt to familiarise himself with this strange world. Though, his real reason for escaping to the library was to avoid Kei who seemed to loathe him. The man was not shy about showing his feelings either, so their meals were nearly always awkward, though Sakura seemed perfectly content on completely ignoring Kei's existence. And Kei did not like that one bit.

Sitting across from Syaoran was Sakura-he wasn't sure why she was sitting with him, and even though she wasn't doing anything, she seemed quite content. He cleared his throat and turned the page of the large leather-bound book that had his parent's family tree inside.

Sakura was looking at the page and suddenly she frowned. "Hold it."

"What?"

Sakura stood and walked around to his side, leaning down to look at the page's contents. Syaoran froze at their close proximity-he could smell her flowery perfume and oddly enough, it calmed him. He wasn't sure if he should be alarmed by the fact or not, so he just let it be and said nothing.

"I see. That makes sense now." She murmured.

He frowned, "What makes sense?"

She turned her head and gave him the same gentle smile she always wore around him.

"Why you were human."

He frowned, waiting for her to elaborate.

"Your mothers clan passed down a very rare spell that only they could use. She gave her life when you were born so that you could be human." She explained gently.

Syaoran watched as she headed for a bookshelf, disappearing for a moment and returned with another book. She opened it and found the page she was looking for and handed the book to him to read.

"In case you wanted to look into it." She added.

Syaoran took the book from her and looked over the pages. It was an old language, but Syaoran recognised it. His father had taught it to him when he was young under the guise that it was a secret language just between them. Now he understood why.

Sakura, seeing him stare at the page suddenly apologised. "I'm sorry-I forgot that you're probably not familiar with this ancient script-"

"I can read it. My dad taught it to me when I was a child." Syaoran murmured.

Sakura looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled. "I see."

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" he said.

"Go ahead." She smiled.

"Why do you insist on staying near me all the time?"

She looked neither upset or surprised by his question. "Everything around here is incredibly boring and you're the only interesting thing."

"Great, so I'm a source of entertainment for you. Sorry to burst your bubble, princess, but I'm not leading anyone's army." He muttered.

She laughed. Syaoran looked up, surprised. Her laugh sounded like soft bells and was pleasant on the ears.

"Yes and no," she spoke, "I enjoy being around you. As for that last comment, however, don't worry. I don't put my faith in prophecies, per se."

"Oh." He was pleasantly surprised by her words. Though he wasn't sure if he should be insulted by her second comment.

"Where's your cat today? Usually she's on your shoulder." Sakura added.

Syaoran shrugged. "Prowling the castle, probably."

Sakura laughed again. "She's very attached to you. It's rather cute."

"I found her-or rather, she found me-the day after I found out my father died." He confessed.

"And she stayed with you since?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Perhaps he knew something..." she murmured to herself, but Syaoran didn't catch it.

"What?"

She shook her head. "It's nothing. So, you're good friends with Eriol, right?"

Syaoran nodded. "Yes. We attended university together back home-er, back in the human world."

"He's told me a lot about you." Sakura said, "Like how you were often late for morning classes."

Syaoran have Eriol, who was standing nearby, a sharp glare.

"Gee, what else has he said about me?" he muttered.

"That you're a hard worker and very intelligent."

"Oh really?" he muttered.

Sakura stood from her seat, a smile still on her lips. "I'll leave you to yourself, then. I think I might head back to my chambers for now."

He nodded and then she added, "There is a place I would like to show you tomorrow afternoon, if you can spare the time?"

She left before Syaoran could answer and he sighed as he stood to put all the heavy leather books away. She knew he didn't have anything happening the upcoming day. Shaking his head, he put the books away and then left with Tomoyo and Yuna following behind him.

...

Once she was out of the library, Sakura turned to her two retainers with a deadly serious look in her eyes. "Eriol, I need you to deliver a message to him for me."

Eriol seemed to understand despite Sakura not using a name. "I'm not sure how long it will take to find him. I could be gone for a few days."

She nodded. "I'm aware. Chances are that he already knows, but just to be safe..."

Eriol nodded. "I understand."

"Thank you. Akiho, help see him off."

"Yes, my lady."

They both left, and Sakura continued down the corridor, her mind fixed on Syaoran. She knew that she had to keep him safe from Kei, at least until he could fully protect himself.

She was startled back to the present when she felt her body slam into the wall, finding it was Kei who was pinning her there.

"So, who were you with?" he snarled.

She held his hard gaze, not giving in. "I don't believe that who I choose to spend my time with is any of your business." She said calmly.

"You seem to be forgetting that it was I who saved your life. You owe me."

"What, exactly? You have my gratitude-that should be enough." Sakura returned coldly. "I know what you're after from me, Kei, but it will never happen. You cannot control me."

It was obvious he was angered by her words, and if it hadn't been for Syaoran walking around the corner with Tomoyo and Yuna, she probably would have gotten into a nasty fight with Kei.

"Sakura, are you alright!?" Tomoyo cried out as she rushed forward to help her friend.

Obvious that he had just been caught, Kei pulled away and walked off angrily. Syaoran frowned, wondering if Sakura was okay, but the way she smiled at Tomoyo made him realise she more than likely didn't want to talk about it. Briefly, he wondered if he should ask her the next time they were alone together, and then he realised that neither Eriol or Akiho were with Sakura.

"Sakura, you know you should never be alone around him-"

"Tomoyo, please, I'm just fine. Besides, I can take care of myself, you know that." Sakura replied with a smile.

His eyes caught hers; he didn't miss the look of shock in her eyes that she hid quickly. Tomoyo didn't miss it either, but she made no effort to show that she saw.

"Where are your two retainers?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura smiled. "They're my retainers in name only. And at the moment, I've sent them on an errand."

"Oh."

"If you'll excuse me." Sakura turned and headed off, leaving them behind.

Syaoran felt like he'd offended her somehow, though he wasn't sure what he had done.

"Lady Sakura And Lord Kei have a bit of history. She is quite capable of protecting herself, despite what we saw just now." Yuna explained.

"Did I upset her?" Syaoran asked.

"I don't think it was you." Tomoyo replied.

Something still wasn't sitting right with him despite what Tomoyo said.

"You, on the other hand, are completely helpless in this world. So don't wander too far from us, okay?" Yuna added.

"Gee, thanks." Syaoran muttered despite knowing it was true. If he were to pick a fight with Kei, he would most surely lose. Badly.

Upon reaching his chambers, Syaoran opened the door only to have a bucket of icy cold water come down onto his head. Tomoyo gasped, "Oh my."

"Right. Which asshole did this?" Syaoran growled.

When neither of his retainers answered, he rolled his eyes and headed inside and up to his room. He was cautious when opening the door, worried that his room might also be booby trapped, but thankfully it wasn't, and he headed inside.

...

Akiho was absolutely mortified when she laid her eyes on the ugly purple bruises spreading across Sakura's shoulders where Kei had gripped her earlier. She had been apologising profusely for not being there to stop him, and Sakura kept telling her that it was not her fault, reminding Akiho that she was her retainer in name only.

"Akiho, please calm yourself." Sakura begged, "It was my fault."

"But-"

"If you feel so terrible, then promise me-promise me you'll be there to save my life when Kei puts it in danger." Sakura said firmly.

Akiho looked surprised, but then she nodded, her expression dark. "I promise I will be there."

Sakura smiled warmly. "Thank you, Akiho."

"I'm only returning the favour-you did save me and Yuna back then..." Akiho answered.

Sakura stood and walked over to the window. "I did that because I wanted to."

"And I'm here because I want to be." Akiho replied.

Sakura couldn't help but smile. "I know."

"About Lord Syaoran... You seem interested in him."

"I am." Sakura answered.

"Oh." Akiho looked away awkwardly, "Er...how come?"

"Partly because of the prophecy," Sakura admitted, "But also because I want to know him."

"Despite everything that happened back then?"

Sakura smiled sadly. "Is it naïve of me to have faith in the belief that there is someone out there who wants to be with me?"

"I don't believe so." Akiho answered.

Sakura sighed softly and nodded. "I don't either."

...

Syaoran made his way to the gardens like Sakura had told him to the day earlier. He wasn't sure why she wanted to see him, but she had also sent a notice to Tomoyo and Yuna telling them not to come with him. So, he was alone.

He was glad he'd managed to remember his way on his own, otherwise he might have gotten lost in the old castle. Though, when he got there Sakura still had yet to arrive.

"Great." He muttered.

He wondered where she was. They were still meeting, he was sure. He hoped she hadn't gotten into trouble with Kei again.

"Hello."

He jumped as he heard her voice. "Shit-you scared me."

She smiled with amusement, "Forgive me. I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Just two minutes." He answered.

"Very well then. Follow me," Sakura walked down the steps to the garden and he followed her.

Given that in the Night World it was Spring, beautiful flowers bloomed and the grass was a lush green all around them.

"So," he began, "Why did you ask me out here?"

"There is a place I would like to show you." Sakura answered softly.

"Show me?"

She nodded, "follow me."

Syaoran followed her through the gardens and glanced at her shoulder, finding that it was completely clear of bruising unlike the day earlier.

"Where are we going, exactly?" he asked instead.

"A place only I know about." She replied softly.

He frowned with confusion and continued to follow her. They soon came to an area that thick vines barred their way. Sakura brushed them to the side to reveal a small secret garden. It was well shaded and hidden from the view of outsiders, making it a perfect retreat.

Sakura took a small seat amongst the small meadow of green grass and white spring flowers and Syaoran did the same.

"You're seriously the only person who knows about this place?" Syaoran asked sceptically.

Sakura smiled, "Tomoyo and Akiho are the exceptions."

"Oh."

She picked some flowers and began weaving a flower crown. "I'm sorry about Kei. He doesn't trust easily."

Syaoran snorted. "I wouldn't say he only mistrusts me-I'm pretty certain he despises my entire being."

When Sakura didn't respond to that, he sighed. "So why bring me here?"

"The simple answer is, that I wanted to."

Syaoran wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he just smiled awkwardly.

Sakura smiled in amusement. "You seem to have something on your mind."

He snorted, "I have a lot of things on my mind."

She weaved a few more flowers together, "I'm willing to listen, if you'd like to get it off your chest." Sakura spoke softly.

Syaoran looked at her with surprise, and then relaxed. "Those girls who serve us during our meals-who are they and why do they keep their faces veiled?"

It was Sakura's turn to look surprised, and then she sighed heavily, her face falling. "Those girls are...servants-slaves. If I could, I would free them myself. However, Kei will never allow that." She murmured.

Syaoran noticed the anguish on Sakura's face, making him curious and concerned. "Why not?"

"They were originally slaves to the traitors...vampires who were once human and turned against us in favour of helping the hunters. Kei believes that they could turn against us, so he keeps them close under his watch." Sakura explained.

He frowned, "There are humans in this world too?"

She shook her head. "When vampires wish to feed on a human, we go to the human world."

"Oh." He murmured. "Then what are the hunters?"

Sakura laughed, "Oh Syaoran," she smiled, "You've read our history books."

Syaoran frowned. "It doesn't specifically state what they are."

"They're...divine beings." She smiled. "They exist only to kill us."

Syaoran sat in thought for a long moment, his mind returning to the girls. Why did Kei only keep the girls...?

"What does he do with the male servants?"

"I think he had them killed." Sakura answered bluntly.

"Oh... so, what would happen if the girls just suddenly, say, disappeared?" Syaoran asked casually.

Sakura looked at him with confusion, but then it suddenly dawned on her. "You can't-!"

"Oh. I guess I'll just have to hope one of them kills him then." Syaoran sighed.

Sakura burst out laughing, surprising him.

"Well, one could always hope." She grinned.

This time, he just smiled.

It was late by the time Syaoran left the gardens. As he walked back to his chambers, he noticed many others passing by or sitting in courtyards-women with children and their partners or sitting on their own or with friends-and as he passed them, they all stared at him with wonder or he could hear whispers. He didn't understand what was so interesting-he was just normal-there wasn't anything special about him in the least, or so he believed. He could hear whispers about the prophecy, whispers about who he was. It bothered him.

He tried to ignore it and picked up his walking pace, sighing heavily with relief when he reached his chambers. Yuna And Tomoyo looked up with surprise.

"You're back."

"Oh, you noticed." Syaoran replied sarcastically.

"You seem bothered by something." Yuna added.

Syaoran walked over to the couch and sat down. "There's all sorts of rumours flying around about me."

"Oh? Like what?" Tomoyo asked.

"I don't know. I wasn't listening." Syaoran half lied.

Yuna And Tomoyo looked at each other for a moment, silently passing a message between them. A soft knock interrupted them and Syaoran answered with a dull "come in". Akiho walked in carrying a bucket and coming from the bucket was a nasty stench.

"Oh gross, what is that?" Syaoran asked, trying not to wretch.

"Hearts." Akiho replied cheerfully.

"Oh-you're off to feed the furies, I take it?" Yuna asked.

Akiho nodded. "Lady Sakura asked me to pass on a message to Lord Syaoran on my way."

Syaoran looked at her with confusion. "Furies?"

"Hmm, I guess they're a lot like the horses in the human world-only much uglier." Tomoyo answered.

Syaoran still looked baffled.

"You'll see at some point." She waved her hand.

"So, what's the message?" Syaoran asked.

"She wants to meet you in the same place tomorrow. And again, without your retainers."

He looked at Akiho with surprise and she smiled again, "Well, I better go feed these things before they get out of control."

Akiho turned and left, taking the bucket and its stench with her. Syaoran turned his attention to the fire crackling in the fireplace, his mind stuck on his conversation with Sakura about the enslaved girls. He wanted to help them. He wanted to set them free. After all, no one deserved to be enslaved.


	4. Breaking Open The Cage

**Sorry for the late update! yesterday was a public holiday here in Australia and I was playing DnD with my cousin and friends lmao. I got all of your reviews-thank you so much! I hope you enjoy this chapter, there's quite a lot happening.**

* * *

Ever since Sakura had explained to Syaoran who the girls who served their meals were, he couldn't help but feel a terrible sense of guilt. After all, he was new to the Night World and was being treated like royalty, because to them, he was royalty and something more. He was the child of prophecy.

And while they sat and ate their breakfast, Sakura showed no signs of remembering what they had spoken about days prior, and Kei was still as cold as ever towards Syaoran. Sora wound around Syaoran's ankles beneath the table and Kei spoke.

"Sakura."

Sakura looked at him expectantly. "What is it?"

"I need you to take care of matters while I'm gone. Can you do that?" Kei spoke.

Sakura stayed silent, and for a moment Syaoran almost wondered if she was a little offended.

"Yes."

"Good."

Kei stood from the table and then left, casting a disgusted glance in Syaoran's direction. Not particularly caring, Syaoran stood, picked up Sora and then headed back to his chambers. For a long while he stared off into space, thinking, not even noticing when someone had walked in and seated themselves down on the couch across from him.

"What is it?" Sakura's voice snapped him out of his trance.

He snapped his head up to see that she was watching him with a curious look, "When did you get here?" he asked.

"About five minutes ago. You didn't even notice." Sakura replied, leaning over and grabbing a chocolate from the crystal bowl on the coffee table.

"Oh."

"So, what were you thinking about?" she asked curiously.

"Nothing." He shrugged.

Sakura smiled, knowing he was lying. "Okay."

"So, Kei's leaving?" he switched topics.

"Yes."

"What for?"

"He's going to meet some scouts to gather intel." Sakura answered.

"He can't contact them through email?" Syaoran wondered aloud.

Sakura giggled. "I'm assuming this is to do with the human worlds technology?"

Syaoran felt like an idiot. Of course, they couldn't-they didn't even have computers in the Night World!

"Yeah." He replied.

She smiled. "While we do have similar methods of communicating like that, Kei is very...controlling. He must see and verify the information himself."

"Oh."

"In any case, while he's gone, there are some things I need to show you." Sakura added.

Syaoran looked at her with increased curiosity. "What things?"

"Things Kei doesn't want you to know about. It's quite ridiculous, really, the way he doesn't want you to know anything." She muttered, "Meet me in the central courtyard at noon. He'll have left by then."

He watched as she stood and left, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

"Lady Sakura must be intending to show you the weapons we fight with among other things." Yuna's voice sounded behind him, startling him.

"Shit-how long have you been there?"

"Tomoyo and I were here the entire time." Yuna answered.

Syaoran groaned. He really needed to pay more attention to his surroundings.

Then, he frowned. "Why doesn't Kei want me to know about the weapons?"

"He believes that the less you know, the more likely you won't be a threat to him and the power he holds over our people." Tomoyo answered this time.

Syaoran snorted. "He's worrying over nothing."

Neither of his retainers said anything in response, and the following silence was something he was grateful for.

...

Sakura sat with in front of her vanity while Akiho weaved her hair into a simple yet elegant design with a glimmering hair piece. Lying face down on the vanity was an ivory photo frame that had been left untouched, dust covering it.

"Are you really going to show him?" Akiho asked timidly.

"He has a right to know," Sakura replied, "I'm sure you would agree."

"I do, it's just that if Kei finds out, he'll be really angry with you." Akiho replied with worry.

Sakura smiled. "Kei has no control over me. No matter how much he insists or tries to force it upon me, he will not rule over me."

Akiho knew that what Sakura said was true, but she still worried. However, Sakura was her close friend as well as her superior, and she would support her unconditionally.

She finished Sakura's hair and stepped back to allow her to stand. "I suppose it's nearly time to meet him, is it?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Well then-let's go."

The two of them left Sakura's chambers and headed down to the central courtyard, a place surrounded by trimmed hedges and stone pathways that led in eight different directions. In the centre was a large marble fountain with a gargoyle as the centrepiece, with water spouting out its mouth. Sakura sat on the edge and waited while Akiho stood by her in silence.

She looked up as she heard footsteps, watching as Syaoran walked over to meet her. Following behind him were Tomoyo and Yuna, which didn't come as any surprise to Sakura-though she was a little amused at the slight look of irritation on his face. He came to a stop and so did Tomoyo and Yuna, and Sakura smiled.

"I see you have your hair up in pigtails today, Tomoyo."

"Something different every day." She beamed.

Syaoran rolled his eyes.

Sakura stood, "Well then, I better not keep you in the dark any longer. The suspense might just kill you." She sighed.

"Poor joke." He muttered.

"Sarcasm." Tomoyo corrected.

He ignored her comment and followed Sakura instead down the west path. They entered the working area, and she walked up to a small place that was hidden by a tattered black curtain and pulled it aside. He entered after her only to find it was even hotter inside than outside.

"It's like a sauna-can I leave?" he groaned.

"No." Sakura replied sternly.

He looked up only to see rows of weapons made from silver-but there was something else about them. Something he couldn't quite place.

"What-what is this?" he asked quickly.

"Vampire hunter weapons." She replied grimly.

"And why do you have these?" he asked, shocked.

Sakura walked around on of the tables with a set of silver daggers laying neatly on a nice red cloth, and beside them was a gun with a set of nine calibre bullets.

"Because those who oppose us can only be taken down with these weapons. There are the traitors-those who turned against us and started working with the hunters to wipe our entire race out-and then there are the hunters." Sakura explained. "Silver on its own can't harm us. But infused with a particular mineral it can be deadly to us if it hits our heart."

"But only our heart?" Syaoran asked.

"Well if you get a wound from one of these weapons it's going to hurt-a lot-but there are other ways of being killed. Avoid having your head cut off."

"Ok." Syaoran didn't like the idea of being near these weapons, but he got the feeling that the reason he was brought here was so that he wasn't foreign later on.

Sakura turned to him, "Are you beginning to understand why I brought you here?" she asked.

"Yes..." he murmured.

She nodded, "Good. You need to be aware of the full reality of what is going on in this world. It's horrible, dangerous, and there's a high chance you could die."

Walking back from the blacksmiths in silence, Syaoran was stuck with images of all the different weapons made of silver stuck in his head. He had come to realise just how serious this war was and how much winning meant to everyone, but if he was truly meant to lead these people, he didn't want to force them. That would be like slavery, and he hated the very idea of mistreatment. It appeared Kei had different ideas, though.

As he walked through the markets he saw haunted faces and fear-the looks on faces that didn't want to be there but were forced to be-and he wished he could do something for them. Perhaps he could, but what?

Their faces haunted him even as he was sitting in his common room, reading another book about the history of the Night World with Sora sleeping over his shoulder. Tomoyo eyed him closely for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to speak with him about the matter, but in the end, she gave in.

"Are you thinking about the blacksmiths?" she asked.

Syaoran snapped out of his daze and looked at Tomoyo with surprise. "Yes...But there's something else..."

"Something else?"

"I think Sakura wanted me to see how haunted everyone looks-how scared they are. I think she thinks I can help somehow-give encouragement, maybe." Syaoran murmured.

Tomoyo smiled. "You have different views to Kei and Sakura-if you feel that something is wrong, then you should act. If you want to help someone, then help."

Syaoran looked at the book on his knee, lost in thought. He knew that if he were a leader, he wouldn't want his followers to feel like they were being forced. He wanted their support and he wanted to listen to what they had to say. He wanted their trust. Not their fear. But, Syaoran was not a leader.

But Tomoyo's words stuck with him. He stayed awake until the very late hours of night trying to think of a way to help those women in black. He eventually fell asleep on the couch, only to wake to Sakura's voice sometime the next morning. His mind still muddled with sleep, he turned his head to find she was comfortably seated on the couch across from him. She was talking with Tomoyo, and from the way they spoke, Syaoran assumed they were very close friends.

Sakura noticed his movement from the corner of her eye and she smiled. "Good morning."

Syaoran sat up, deciding there was no point in staying lying down.

"Tomoyo tells me that you stayed out here all night." Sakura added.

"So, what if I did?" Syaoran replied.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked.

"Nothing."

"Oh really? Well, that's a shame. I've ordered that breakfast be brought to us this morning. I hope you like pancakes." Sakura replied.

As she said that, a few of the women dressed in black entered the room carrying their meals.

"Pancakes? I haven't had those in ages." Syaoran murmured.

"Kei doesn't exactly approve of my love for these, so whenever he leaves, it's a good chance for me to have them." Sakura confessed as she picked up her plate.

"Kei controls the food you eat?" Syaoran asked with a hint of disgust.

"To a degree."

Syaoran couldn't believe it. "How long will he be away for?"

"It depends. Possibly a few days-long enough that people can at least relax for a moment without fear of his wrath." Sakura answered before sticking her fork in her mouth.

Syaoran was speechless. Sakura sighed in bliss as she enjoyed her pancakes, making Syaoran realise just how much she had relaxed since Kei had left.

"Why do you put up with him?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura stayed silent. He looked up at her to see she was eyeing him curiously.

"I don't need your pity, Syaoran. I'm perfectly capable of protecting myself." She finally spoke. Her tone was neither cold nor warm.

"I'm sorry." He apologised. "I didn't mean to sound like that."

Sakura gave him a warm smile. "It's okay. I should apologise too-you're just concerned about me, aren't you?"

Syaoran felt his face heat up. "Er, well... I guess I was just trying to understand you..."

Sakura looked surprised. Then, her cheeks reddened, and she hastily stuck another piece of pancake in her mouth. After a few moments of awkward silence, Sakura finally spoke again.

"It's a bit complicated," she started, "But he believes I owe him for when he saved me many years ago."

"He saved you?"

She nodded. "While I'm grateful for what he did, it doesn't mean he can treat me the way he does. I'm trying to drive that point into him as hard as I can."

"By spending time with me?" Syaoran frowned.

"That's part of it. But I enjoy my time with you-that's the difference."

When Syaoran didn't answer, she looked a bit worried. "Did I upset you?" she asked.

Syaoran shook his head quickly. "No, I was just... surprised."

She smiled again. "What is the human world like?"

Syaoran blinked. "Why?"

"I've never been." She confessed.

"It's nothing all that special. There's always a war going on somewhere, and people feel the need to pick on others to make themselves feel superior." Syaoran muttered.

Sakura laughed. "It doesn't sound that much different to the Night World."

"Why is it called the Night World? It's not always night time-we still have sun." Syaoran said.

"That's true. I think it was actually a joke from one of our ancestors who were affiliated with the human realm. A lot of our creatures that appear in their folk tales or stories seem to appear only at night." Sakura admitted. "That's what my father told me, anyway."

"Wait-so all those creatures in the stories that humans call fantasy-they're real?"

Sakura nodded. "Of course, they are."

"Then what about werewolves and gods and everything?"

"They're all real too."

"So...do werewolves hate vampires?"

Sakura burst into a fit of laughter. "That's not true at all! We're actually the best of friends."

Syaoran raised his brow, "Really?"

"No."

Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"But, it is true that we aren't specifically enemies." She said, "We treat it as any other relationship."

Syaoran nodded. "So... Chupacabra?"

"Where the hell did Chupacabra come from?" she laughed.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"They exist as well," she added. "You won't find one around here though. Maybe in Europe, you will."

"Huh. So, the continents are named the same over here as well?" Syaoran murmured.

"No, it's just easier to use when talking with you because you're not familiar with our names. What you call Europe, is known as Eurelia here. It might do you some good to look into our geography." Sakura replied as she stood, "I have some things I need to tend to, so I'll see you later."

"Oh, sure." He smiled at her and she returned his smile before she headed out the door. As she left, Syaoran briefly wondered if that meant that she had learned all she could about the human world just so she could talk with him. He laughed. There was no way.

...

During the time that Kei was away, Syaoran had noticed a significant change in the way people acted around the castle. People were nicer and more friendly and seemed to enjoy themselves more. It was a livelier and more comfortable environment. While he lay on the couch in his bedroom lost in thought, the door opened. He paid it no attention until he felt the brush of silk and someone sat down at his feet. He looked up so see Sakura looking around his room.

"You haven't changed much." She commented.

"What are you doing in my room?" He asked quickly.

She laughed and leant back into the soft cushions. He had noticed a drastic shift in the way Sakura acted without Kei there.

"I know what's been on your mind these past few days." She replied.

"Did Tomoyo tell you?" He muttered.

"No, I guessed from your behaviour."

"Well then, how can you know if it's just guess work?"

Sakura giggled. "Never mind that. So, you want to help the servant girls, correct?"

He stayed silent.

"If you do, it would be best to act now, while Kei's gone."

He sat up, "Okay, so do you have any ideas as to what we should do?"

"You're forgetting who is in charge while Kei's gone." Sakura smiled.

Syaoran just looked at her quizzically, causing her to sigh.

"I've organised to see the girls tomorrow morning. But you should be the one to speak with them. They'll be wary of us-especially me." She explained.

"Why you?" He asked.

"I've always been around Kei. They won't trust me." Sakura answered sadly.

Syaoran frowned in thought. "What do I need to do?"

"Convince them that they'll be able to go freely. I can open the doors for them-they can leave if that is their desire. No strings attached."

"That sounds too good to be true." Syaoran laughed.

"Exactly. They won't believe it." Sakura murmured.

He sighed, "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out."

Her face suddenly became serious, "Are you prepared to deal with Kei when he gets back? He'll be furious."

Syaoran nodded. "This was my idea, after all."

She smiled. "Very well."

He watched as she stood. She was quick to put a plan together and he was amazed by it. Suddenly she appeared to be half asleep and fell onto his bed.

"H-hey! You can't sleep there!" he groaned when she didn't answer, seeing she had fallen asleep, and he left her where she was. He watched her, finding that she had the calmest look on her face as she slept. She looked so...innocent.

...

"You're joking! They're seriously going through with that plan!?" Tomoyo barked.

"Yes." Akiho answered.

"It's whatever she orders." Eriol replied.

"And you still haven't told us about your recent trip." Tomoyo narrowed her eyes.

"She seems to know what she's doing. I'd be more concerned about Lord Syaoran." Yuna added.

"But Kei!" Tomoyo cried.

"I'll kill him." Akiho smiled, "Twist his neck at a nice angle for a photo shoot."

"It worries me that you can say that with such a cheerful smile." Yuna murmured.

"Thank you!" Akiho beamed.

"That wasn't a compliment."

Tomoyo sighed, "Okay. So, this is happening tomorrow morning?"

"Yes." Eriol answered.

"Well then," she said, "Let's get this done."

"Thankfully Kei won't be back until late tomorrow evening." Akiho added.

"You're sure on that?" Yuna asked.

"Very." Eriol answered.

Akiho looked to the staircase. "They've been up there for a while. Could they still be talking?"

"Who knows." Tomoyo hummed.

Eriol smiled, "Don't worry, Akiho. Syaoran won't do anything to hurt her."

Akiho looked back at the staircase for any sign that Sakura was coming down, but she didn't, so she left with the others to begin organising what would need to be done.

...

Syaoran woke in the morning with an aching neck from having slept all night on the couch. He sat up and cracked his neck, and then looked over to see Sakura still sleeping deeply on his bed. Sora was curled up into her side, purring as she slept, and he smiled.

"Hey." He poked her in the cheek, and she groaned.

"It's morning, get off my bed."

She stirred a little more at this, shooting up into a sitting position and looking around her. She sighed with relief upon realising he'd slept on the couch, but Sora jumped onto the floor, startled by her sudden movements.

"Right, morning, ok..." Sakura sighed. "I'll meet you in the dining hall. After breakfast we'll go and see the girls."

Syaoran nodded, "Ok."

Sakura seemed flustered as she stood, smoothing out her dress. "Well, I better be going now." She said. "I'll uh, see you shortly..."

She quickly left.

Syaoran looked to Sora who stared back at him impatiently, demanding her breakfast. He sighed, got changed, and then picked her up and carried her downstairs where Tomoyo was sitting with Yuna as usual.

"Tomoyo, could you feed Sora please?" he asked.

Without saying anything, she stood and did as she was asked. While she was doing that, he left the common room with Yuna behind him. He knew most of his way around now-it was easy enough to find everything. He entered the dining hall and took his usual seat. Sakura was already waiting quietly, although she had changed her dress to something navy blue and pale opalescent white chiffon.

One of the girls stepped forward and briefly whispered to Sakura, who nodded, and then as the rest of the girls came out and began serving the two of them it was as if nothing had happened.

Syaoran sat patiently while he was served; today it was roasted meat and seasoned potatoes which surprised him as a meal for breakfast, but he shrugged it off. He realised the girl serving him was the same girl who he had made eye contact with the other day, and briefly she looked at him again-there was something in her eyes, something that shouted out help-and he couldn't deny that from her. She scurried away quickly and made her way back into the kitchens while Syaoran and Sakura ate in an almost comfortable silence.

When they were finished, the girls collected their plates and disappeared. Syaoran looked to Sakura, who was still sitting in wait for something, and he guessed that he should too.

They waited for about half an hour before a woman dressed in black came out and walked over to Sakura. "My Lady-the rest of the girls will be happy to see the two of you now." She said.

"You're positive?" Sakura asked.

"Absolutely. If they can get out of here somehow, then they're game."

Sakura nodded, "Take us through, Rin."

The woman parted an area in the walls by pulling on a lever on the edge of a candleholder, which dipped down and revealed a hidden passageway to the kitchens.

As they walked down and up the stone stairs, Syaoran could smell delightful desserts and other sweet things being made. They rose up into a common room instead, and Syaoran stared at the strange room where the girls who were usually all dressed in black were now dressed in exotic clothing of which they were free to move in, however their faces were still veiled. Some of the girls were sitting on cushions, while others lay across couches.

"We have guests." The girl named Rin said lightly.

Syaoran picked her out to be no older than at least twenty-eight or so, but he never knew anyone's exact age.

"Tear off that dastardly robe." One of the other women snarled.

Rin smiled and grabbed her black fabric, ripping it off to show the beautiful turquoise and gold silk beneath.

"If that bastard found out about it, it would be stolen from us." Cassandra declared, gaining everyone's attention.

Syaoran's eye fell on the small slim girl he recognised and needed help. He knew she was desperate to get away, and he couldn't blame her.

"Lord Syaoran and Lady Sakura have a plan to help us get away." Rin explained.

"Hold it-what are the terms?" one of the other girls asked cautiously.

Sakura stepped forwards. "We don't have any conditions." She said softly. "The only thing we want is that you are all out safe and unharmed."

Another woman laughed coldly. "Why now? You never wanted to before."

Sakura flinched, but she took a deep breath and met the woman's gaze. "I was a coward. It wasn't until Syaoran came here that I chose to act, and for that I am deeply sorry."

Syaoran stepped forward quickly. "Wait-" He said.

Sakura turned to him, "What is it?"

"Wait."

Sakura stopped and pulled back, and Syaoran stepped forward. He'd never been good with public speaking and he was worried he'd screw up. "Where is she? The girl-I'm sorry, I don't know her name-who usually serves me?" he asked.

There was silence for a moment, and a few minutes later Tomoyo returned with the young female girl at her side and helped her over to Syaoran. She was frail and only about fourteen.

"Please," he asked, "Could I ask you what you would do with your freedom?"

The girl looked confused. "I'd like to find my sister." She said.

"What happened to her?"

"She was injured in the war. All I want is to find her again." She said desperately.

He nodded. "We'll get you out. It's your choice what you do-you can stay, or you can leave. But if you choose to turn on us, I won't hesitate to kill you myself." Syaoran said as the path below them rumbled.

The kitchen girls looked at him and Sakura smiled, "There's a path that's been cleared for you. Rin will lead you out of here. If you choose, you can go to a safe house where Kei can't touch you, or you can completely disappear off the grid."

The women all looked wary. "What if this is some kind of trap?"

Syaoran sighed. "If you can't trust Sakura, then trust me. Kei hates my guts, but honestly I couldn't care less about that."

"Why do you want to help us? You don't know us."

Syaoran looked slightly taken aback. "I want to help you because being enslaved sucks. It's simple."

Sakura laughed, and everyone looked at Syaoran with surprise.

"So... you're just letting us go?"

"Yes." Sakura answered.

The girls all looked at each other, still unsure of what they were saying was really true.

"Look," Syaoran muttered, "I give you full permission to kill me if you believe it's a lie when you get out. But please-don't stay here if it makes you miserable. Don't stay if it only brings you pain."

Each woman eyed him curiously. There was no way someone could fake being that compassionate and caring-in a way, he understood. He had been brought to the Night World against his own will and thrust into something he didn't want to have any part of. When Sakura saw that look of understanding on his face, she felt her heart clench with guilt.

After a long silence, one of the women spoke up. "Where do we have to go to reach this passage?"

"Akiho will lead you there." Sakura answered.

"Well, I'm taking a chance. I'm sick of being that arsehole's play thing."

"Me too." Another woman added, and soon everyone was on their feet in agreement.

Akiho stepped forwards with a kind smile, "If you'd follow me, I'll show you the way out. Pack any of your belongings you want-we need to be quick as Kei will be back today."

Syaoran watched as the women moved about, gathering their things. Rin approached him with a small smile on her face.

"Thank you for what you have done for us." She said.

He blushed. "I didn't do anything amazing..."

"Yes, you have. It's because of you that we're able to leave. But not only that-we have hope again."

"How is it because of me? I just said a bunch of words..."

"Which we all believe to be true. Which you believe to be true. Syaoran, we girls will know freedom because one girl could stand up due to words you said, and then another stood up. And it only takes another couple of people before it reaches ten." Rin smiled with a bright happiness. "So, thank you."

Syaoran didn't know what to say, so he just nodded. He looked up at Sakura whose smile was as radiant as the sun.

"You saved them." She said softly.

* * *

 **Told you, lmao. Next chapter will be fun as well. people show up. sarcasm happens. heads roll... or do they?**

 **Review?**


	5. From The Grave And Into The Night

**Hello! Thank you for your support, it means a lot to me. Here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy it.**

* * *

Syaoran had spent the last hour off in his own little world. He was still processing what had happened that morning when they set the women free. Rin had even told him how to contact her should he need her help with something.

Sakura sat across from him with a hot cup of tea in her hands, watching him gently. He had pretended not to notice the look in her eyes, but he couldn't stand it anymore.

"Please don't look at me with pity." He murmured.

Sakura jolted, like she's been slapped. Then, her face softened. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Syaoran replied, "But there's nowhere for me to run in this world. And I can't go back to my days as a human. So, while I was brought here against my will, I've come to terms with it."

Sakura felt a gentle smile form on her lips. "You're very kind."

He blushed and looked away. There was a soft knock on the door and Tomoyo and Eriol appeared.

"They've left safely?" Sakura asked,

"Yes, My Lady." Eriol answered.

"What do you intend to do about Kei?" Tomoyo asked.

"I'm not sure just yet." Sakura replied. "He's certain to be enraged."

"He'll likely take it out on Syaoran. After all, he's never been one to keep his temper under control." Eriol answered.

Syaoran blinked. "I'm sure I can take care of myself."

Sakura snorted. "This is the Night World, remember? Kei is a blue blood-he can easily kill you with his bare hands."

"My father did teach me how to fight, you know." Syaoran muttered.

"You still can't use magic. Kei, however, while he sucks at magic, can easily destroy you Syaoran. I'm not saying this to be cruel-I'm saying it because I care, and you need to know." Sakura replied sternly.

Syaoran held her gaze for a long moment. Her emerald gaze was filled with concern for him as well as sheer determination.

"Okay." He spoke softly.

"Lady Sakura, should I accompany the two of you?" Akiho asked.

Sakura shook her head. "It might further fuel his rage. But..."

Eriol smiled. "I don't think you should worry, my lady. He's got your message."

Syaoran frowned at Eriol and Sakura sighed with relief. Who were they talking about? Kei? Did Sakura threaten him?

"Who are-"

Syaoran was cut off by urgent knocking. Yuna opened the door to find a frightened, shaking maid standing there.

"How can we help you?" he asked kindly.

"It's Lord Kei," She stammered, "He demands to see Lady Sakura and Lord Syaoran alone."

Sakura sighed gently. "Syaoran, we should go."

Syaoran stood with Sakura and looked to Eriol who wore a look that said, "good luck". Then, they left quietly.

Syaoran was feeling indifferent about Kei's coming rage. He didn't feel bad and he certainly did not regret letting those girls go free.

Sakura glanced at him, "It's best not to say anything. Let me do the talking."

Syaoran just nodded. Though, he was worried about Sakura. Time and time again she had told him that she was more than capable of protecting herself-but the way Kei handled her the other day made Syaoran wonder if that was true. He knew that if he voiced that, however, she would surely be angry with him. So instead, despite how hard it was for him, he had to believe in her.

The hall they entered looked to resemble a ballroom. Several large golden chandeliers hung from the roof and midnight blue curtains covered the tall windows. Their footsteps echoed through the hall and up ahead standing at the top of the stairs was Kei. It was easy to see that Kei was absolutely furious. His face was crimson, and his body shook with pure rage. As soon as they came to a stop, Kei looked between the two of them. Sakura's face showed she was calm and Syaoran was much the same.

"You bitch," he snarled, "You sneaky, filthy conniving-"

"She is not the one who came up with the idea." Syaoran cut across him.

Kei's dark eyes flicked to him. "If you cut across me again, Li, I'll fucking tear your head from your fucking shoulders." He hissed. "You think that just because you're some child of prophecy, you can waltz right in here and do what you want?"

"You think that just because you were brought here because of some prophecy, that you can do as you please?" Kei hissed.

Sakura cast Syaoran a side glance to tell him not to say anything further.

"I see no problem with what I did. Those girls did not deserve to be enslaved." Syaoran replied smoothly. This answer only angered Kei further.

"You insolent... You have no right! You do not know our ways!"

"Syaoran-"

"Someone who takes other people's slaves and makes them their own slaves has no right to go shouting justice." Syaoran tried to keep his voice calm as he said this, remembering all the lives that were lost as refugees sought new homes back in the human world throughout history and even now. People who sought asylum from slavery and war.

Kei could have lunged at Syaoran if it weren't for Sakura who had stepped in, "Kei, please. Calm down." She said softly.

"And you-you helped him." He snarled. Sakura stared him in the eyes, daring him to harm her.

Syaoran feared that Kei was about to hurt Sakura, but someone else's voice intervened. Someone Syaoran had believed to be dead.

"I understand your frustration, Kei. But I wouldn't go doing anything stupid."

Syaoran looked over his shoulder to see the familiar face of his father who had just walked in. He was too shocked for words, even as his father placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. His father was a tall man, with the same build and features as his son though more developed.

Kei stared at the man who had just walked through the doors with Akiho behind him, and Syaoran thought he saw a hint of fear in his eyes. Sakura didn't seem remotely surprised, if she was.

"It's been a while, hasn't it Kei?"

"Indeed." Kei replied stiffly.

"What my son did was stupid, but with good heart. I'm sure you can pardon him-after all, it's really not that big of a deal, unless there's something you would like to share with us?"

Kei stayed silent.

"Good. Now we can all get on with our lives."

It was obvious Kei was extremely displeased at this turn of events as he walked out of the large hall. Syaoran wasn't entirely sure what had just happened himself.

"It's been a while."

Syaoran still couldn't find any words to speak-his father just smiled at him as he had always done-the same smile he would give him to let him know that everything would be alright as a child.

He finally got over his shock, enough to finally ask, "When did you suddenly pop out of the ground?" Irritably.

His father raised his brow. "Well, I see you haven't changed."

"What were you expecting-sunshine and rainbows?"

"Not particularly. If you think a silver bullet can kill me then you're wrong."

"So, you just happened to drop off the map for six years, right..."

"I had a few things to do." His dad shrugged.

"A few things? You don't think you could have just told me instead of getting shot in the heart and disappearing for a few years? Wow you're _so_ caring." Syaoran rolled his eyes.

"It was in the lung-idiots can't aim properly-and I couldn't have told you because-"

"Right, I get it."

His dad sighed. Sakura still stood with Akiho beside her-Akiho was completely gobsmacked-but was completely calm. Syaoran's father turned his attention to her with a clear look of worry.

"Ah, Lady Sakura-I haven't seen you since you were a small child-I got your message. I hope you weren't harmed?"

"No, thank you for your concern Lord Syaoron." Sakura replied.

Syaoran glared at his father for a moment, slightly irritated with him for having kept secrets but also understanding why.

"Well, shall we sit down?" Syaoran's father suggested.

"Perhaps that would be wise-Syaoran might tear your head off if you aren't careful." Sakura replied nonchalantly.

"Charming."

They sat in Syaoran's common room and Yuna prepared them tea. No one was surprised to see Syaoran's father except for Tomoyo and Yuna. They were surprised to see him, mentioning that his appearance was very sudden, making Syaoran wonder how well known his father was and what he'd been up to. Yuna handed the final cup of tea to Syaoran who accepted it with a small word of thanks. Sora was hanging over Syaoran's shoulder again, purring louder than ever.

"I see you still have the cat." Syaoron said as he picked up his cup.

"Yeah and?"

He shrugged, "No reason."

"How do you know Kei?" Syaoran suddenly asked.

His father snorted, "I've been alive for centuries-it's hard not to. But if you really want to know, I've had a few run-ins with him. Not particularly pleasant..." he muttered.

"Kei has mentioned you a few times. He wasn't impressed." Sakura said with a small smile, as if amused.

"I assume he told you what happened then?"

"Yes. I didn't care much but he wouldn't shut up." Sakura said dully.

"Well, then you'll know about the part where he got trapped in the bin?"

Both Eriol and Syaoran snorted but Sakura looked rather confused. "No, he never mentioned that. Though he never mentions anything that may puncture his pride." Sakura answered.

"It was terribly funny-he fell off the ledge of a building and into one of the large dumpsters-the lid somehow locked itself so he was stuck in there for a while. The human world has a lot of good places to get stuck." Syaoron explained.

Sakura was quite amused by this and Eriol was in a fit of laughter.

"He got stuck in a bin?" Syaoran asked with disbelief.

"I wouldn't mention it to him-he might try and kill you and he already wants to kill you Syaoran." Syaoron said.

"So, what brings you here?" Syaoran muttered.

"What? I can't come and see you?" he asked.

"Is that the real reason you came?"

His father rolled his eyes. "It's not the only reason-I need to keep an eye on a few things."

"Like what?"

"Nothing you need to worry about."

Sakura finished her tea and stood. "Well, I'm afraid I must be going. I'll see you tomorrow." She bid her farewell.

"Have a good evening, Lady Sakura." Syaoron said.

She nodded and left, Akiho closing the door with a soft click behind her. Syaoran watched them leave, and when they were gone his father whacked him over the head.

"Ow-what was that for!?" he cried.

"You could stand to have more manners."

Syaoran groaned and rubbed the back of his head. "Does it really matter?"

His father gave an exasperated sigh but didn't say anything. Instead he leant back in his seat and stared into his cup. After a moment, he asked, "So, what made you wish to free those girls?"

Syaoran was a little surprised by the question. "What-you don't know?"

"I can only guess, Syaoran."

Syaoran sighed and looked away.

"Sakura told me about why they were here. I didn't think it was right-how they were being treated-it's hypocrisy."

To his surprise, his father smiled. "I thought so. I'm not going to tell you off for it-you're an adult now. But, tread lightly in Kei's territory Syaoran." He warned.

"What do you mean?" Syaoran asked.

"You haven't realised?" He asked. "There's nothing he wants more than that poor young woman." He said darkly.

Syaoran felt his stomach drop to the floor. Sakura with Kei? But he was so harsh, so cruel, so untrusting!

"Well, it's up to you what you do." Syaoron shrugged.

Syaoran frowned, "wait-how did you know about the girls that were freed? And I got Sora after you were gone."

Syaoron sipped his tea, "Oh, was I not supposed to know?"

"For crying out loud-I've believed you to be dead all of these years and suddenly I'm here in a world I don't know or understand! What the hell is going on, dad?" Syaoran snapped.

His father sighed softly. "There will come a day that I will answer those questions, but for now I can't do that."

"I'd rather a normal life..." Syaoran muttered.

His father fell silent and he immediately regretted saying it.

"I know." He finally said. "I'm sorry."

Syaoran looked away guiltily but his father still messed up his hair. "I'll leave you alone for now. See you tomorrow." He said with a smile as he stood up.

Syaoran watched as he walked towards the door and then slipped out, disappearing from his sight. His father was alive. He didn't know how to explain the joy and confusion he felt. He had always believed him to be gone forever. But that warmth-that smile-it was his. There was no doubt in his mind. But why fake being dead? Why leave him alone? And why did he choose now to come back?

Syaoran shook his head. He remembered as a child when he would ask his father questions that he couldn't answer right away, he would tell him those same words. And, he always stuck by them. He would tell Syaoran when the time was right. For now, Syaoran needed to sort through his feelings and relax in his still new environment.

Yuna, Who has stepped out earlier with Syaoron, stepped back inside and Syaoran looked at him curiously, "What were you talking to him about?"

"Nothing of your concern." Yuna smiled politely.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. He was getting tired of hearing that.

"Fine. I'm going to have a bath and go to bed." Syaoran muttered.

"Yes, My Lord." Tomoyo replied.

With that, Syaoran headed upstairs for the night. He was tired and exhausted from the day's events and surprises, his mind in a jumbled mess that he couldn't sort out until he'd gotten some sleep.

...

Sakura sat in the bath of hot water and rose petals Akiho had made for her to help calm her down and cheer her up. The steam was soothing and the water gentle and calming. She breathed in the scent of the roses and exhaled deeply, making her wonder where the roses had come from. They certainly weren't anything Akiho had picked for her... Typically Akiho would go for something with cherry blossoms for Sakura, not roses.

Shoving the thought to the side, she gently washed herself and then rose quickly from the water, her robes brought to her quickly and wrapped around her cold wet body. She walked out of the bathroom and into her chambers where Kei was standing in wait, dressed in his usual black and dark navy.

"Kei-you've caught me at an unpleasant moment." Sakura said, knowing full well that she wore nothing beneath her robes.

Kei turned to her, his expression almost remorseful. He was good at faking emotions and putting up a false facade, but Sakura had learned to see through it.

"I wanted to apologise to you, dear princess, for you have been through so much. You lost your family, and then your husband." He whispered softly to her, splaying his fingers over hers in an overly gentle way.

Sakura realised the roses were from him but said nothing.

"I think I may have been too harsh on you, and I wanted to say that I'm deeply sorry for what I did." He continued to speak.

Sakura heard no words of apology from his mouth. She could only feel his hand in hers, his breath against her skin-everything that could bring back her rotten past and trigger those memories again. She jerked her hand away and teared her eyes from him. "I accept your apology, Kei, but I really need to be alone right now. Please..."

"Of course." He murmured. "I'll see you tomorrow. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

Sakura nodded, and he left. Akiho walked out and saw Sakura looking troubled, so she walked over to her quickly. "My Lady? What's wrong?"

Sakura smiled quickly. "Don't worry, it's nothing."

"Are you sure...?" She asked.

"Yes Akiho, I'm fine. I'm going to go to bed now, so I'll see you in the morning." Sakura said as she headed for the staircase.

"Goodnight, My Lady." Akiho smiled.

Sakura dressed herself in silence in one of her night robes and stared at the old forgotten photo frame on the vanity for a long time. She didn't touch it or even dust it off. It just lay there as always. She finally tore her eyes from it and turned to her bed, slipping into it and blowing out the candle on her bedside table.

* * *

 **Well now. What did you think? :)**


	6. Ignorance Is Bliss

Breakfast was strange. Syaoran sat across from his father who was quite calm as he ate, ignoring Kei's hateful glare completely. Instead he was more focused on the maids who had taken up the role of carrying out their meals in place of the servant girls, while there were willing others in the kitchen who had taken up cooking their meals. Syaoran didn't know who had arranged this and he knew it definitely wasn't Kei. He doubted Sakura had the time and he certainly hadn't done it. That only left his father...

Syaoran wondered just what his father had been up to in the time they'd been separated, the time he'd mourned his death. He assumed that his father had been busy with the affairs of the Night World for whatever reason, and that thought only irritated him more.

Sakura entered the hall and walked past-she was wearing a rather low-backed dress in the palest shade of blue with a dragon scale pattern covering it, and the scales looked so real it was petrifying yet beautiful. He stared at her, unable to take his eyes off her.

Syaoron was quick to notice. It had been evident since the first time he'd seen the two that they seemed infatuated with each other, which made him worry for the pair. He knew how destructive jealousy could be and Kei was not a kind man. He looked over at Syaoran and then at Kei; Kei was fuming, but Syaoran just seemed to be ignoring him. He shrugged it off and continued eating.

Syaoran headed back to the common room on his own after breakfast, but when he got there, he went to turn the brass door knob only to find it was covered in a slippery substance-probably soap or something similar-and he couldn't turn it. Pissed off by another one of Eriol's pranks, he decided to go somewhere else even though he didn't have much choice in the matter.

He found himself wandering towards the gardens and didn't pay much attention to what was in front of him-he was too focused on what was around him instead, and bumped into someone. They gave a small shriek and he caught her just before she fell-Sakura stared up at him with surprised eyes and for a moment he stared back. There was an awkward silence and he quickly released her, apologising.

"Sorry-I wasn't looking where I was going."

"No, it's fine..." she murmured.

They stood in silence for a moment until Sakura smiled.

"So, why aren't you in your common room? Isn't that where you were going?"

"Eriol put soap on the door knob so I couldn't get in." He muttered.

For the first time he saw a real laugh escape her lips. "Oh, I see." She laughed.

"You find that amusing?" he asked.

"I'm sorry," she giggled.

He sighed. He guessed he didn't mind-she was smiling after all.

They began walking together and Syaoran noticed that Sakura was alone. "Where's Akiho? She's usually with you, isn't she?" he asked.

"I told her I'd like to be alone for a while." Sakura answered.

"Oh..."

"Why don't we go to the garden? It's nicer there." Sakura then suggested.

Syaoran realised she was talking about the small hidden garden she had shown him a couple of weeks back and quickly agreed.

As they sat in the shade, he noticed that Sakura's dragon scale halter neck dress had a bit of a shimmer to it along the bottom edge. He hadn't noticed it in the dining room-perhaps it was the lighting-but even in the shade the sun still seemed to bring out the effects of the beautiful dress.

"Are you interested in the material of my dress?" she asked.

"Sorry." He looked away awkwardly and began picking daisies, making a daisy chain.

She smiled, "It's got platinum in the thread to give the shimmer." She said softly.

"Expensive dress..." Syaoran muttered.

Sakura giggled a little. "Yes, I suppose it may have been. I wouldn't know, though."

He looked at her with a stunned expression. "How could you not know?" he asked incredulously.

"It was a gift from my mother." She said softly, a sad look entering her eyes.

"Oh, I see." Syaoran murmured. "That makes sense."

Sakura then smiled, "Well, you must be glad that your father is back, are you not?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Honestly I don't know. I'm so confused-if he needed to go away for a while, he could have just told me some other lie-not faked his death. I'd have much preferred something else..." He muttered.

"He did get shot though." Sakura said.

Syaoran stared at her.

"He mentioned it last night-they missed his heart and it punctured his lung instead. I can't imagine what the pain must have been like-or is still like. Getting injured by one of those hunters' weapons is no easy challenge; it's a deadly and serious battle." Sakura explained to him. Syaoran looked away.

"But...I'm sure he had his reasons for staying away from you. He might not tell you now, but I'm sure later it will all make sense." Sakura smiled comfortingly.

Syaoran felt himself smile back. Perhaps she was right-maybe all it would take would be some time after all.

"Thank you." He said.

She still smiled.

"Would you mind if I asked a question?" Syaoran asked her.

"Sure, go ahead." She smiled at him beautifully, and for a moment he forgot what to ask. He shook his head and found his words, "Your shoulder seemed rather injured the other week-are you alright...?" he asked.

Sakura's smile fell a little. "So, you saw what Kei did to my shoulder, then."

"I'm sorry, I never intended to see what happened..." He apologised immediately, but she wasn't angry.

"Kei was always stupid about where he approached me and how he went about it. His anger is vicious and uncontrolled." She whispered. "To be honest, that wasn't the first time he had broken a shoulder or something else of mine in one of his fits of rage."

Syaoran listened as she sadly recalled when Kei had stomped on her foot, breaking every bone in her toes and foot one night just because she had smiled kindly at a possible suitor. Her hip was shattered and caused her to stop walking for days while it was still healing. There were more stories, but not quite as brutal, however that didn't change the fact that it was so wrong.

"Sakura..." Syaoran asked, his voice trembling with anger. "Why do you put up with his abuse?"

Sakura hugged her knees. "He wasn't always like this." She whispered. "We grew up together."

"I hate to tell you this, but people change. And he's not changing for the better, especially if he's abusing you." Syaoran said firmly.

A few tears crept from Sakura's eyes, but she wiped them away as if to strengthen her resolve.

"I know. I decided a long time ago that he could no longer be of any significance to me." Sakura whispered.

"But...deep down you still care." Syaoran said.

"Of course, I do! We grew up together...he was like a brother to me... Feelings like that don't just disappear." She whispered, crying her heart out to him.

Syaoran wasn't sure what to do. He'd never had to comfort a crying girl before, so he wasn't sure what to say or do. Hesitantly, He reached out his hand and placed it gently over hers, trying to tell her everything would be ok.

"I don't understand Syaoran," she whispered, "I absolutely hate him but at the same time I don't..."

He didn't blame her for her mixed emotions-with what Kei was doing to her it was no wonder. He gave her an awkward but gentle hug, where she wouldn't let go for several minutes so he stayed in the embrace. The material beneath his fingers, strangely enough, did feel like scales.

Their embrace lasted a lot longer than intended and Syaoran wondered if she was even paying attention. "Sakura..."

As he looked down at Sakura who was holding onto him, he noticed that she had fallen asleep. He sighed and decided against waking her, and instead he lay down in the soft grass and daisies with her still attached to him.

…

When Sakura woke she could smell daisies and Syaoran's strong scent beneath her. Confused, she looked around and remembered they were in the hidden garden, and she had accidentally fallen asleep in their embrace earlier. She felt so embarrassed she didn't know what to say to him. Though, he didn't seem terribly fazed by it...

As she shifted to move, she felt something on her head. She lifted her hand to feel something flowery there, and then pulled it off to have a look. In her hands was a crown of woven daisies and pieces of grass and some lavender which was just in arms reach of Syaoran. She smiled.

"Have a nice sleep?" Syaoran asked.

She looked up to see him weaving more daisies and moved to sit up without showing much embarrassment.

"Sorry," she apologised.

He sat back up and sighed. "So... suppose we should head back? I mean, the sun's nearly set."

Sakura nearly panicked. "What did you just say?!"

"I'm not joking." He told her. "You sleep like a rock-toss a lot too..."

"Don't mention a word of this to anyone!" she hissed.

He looked surprised for a moment. "Ok, fine."

She placed the crown neatly in the corner on some blue flowers where it stood out, and then she stood and walked out. Syaoran followed her as she stormed back through the garden, though he couldn't figure out why she was so upset.

Sakura on the other hand was just too embarrassed to talk to him and was relieved when they headed their separate ways. As she entered her common room both a frantic looking Akiho and Eriol looked up-Eriol's expression relaxed upon seeing Sakura, but Akiho's was still distressed.

"My Lady-where have you been!? We thought you lost-disappeared somewhere-good heavens I'm so relieved!" she cried as she flittered around Sakura to check her for injury.

"I'm quite alright. I'm so sorry for worrying you; I was out in the gardens and lost track of time." Sakura answered gently.

"Evidently, Lord Syaoran has apparently wandered off somewhere too. Have you seen him?" Eriol asked with a knowing smile.

Sakura smiled, "I'm sure he's quite fine." She said and headed up to her chambers to avoid any more questions.

Akiho looked at Eriol, "Do you think she's avoiding something?" she asked suspiciously.

"Perhaps they were making out." He shrugged casually.

Akiho was horrified at such a prospect. "How could you even suggest such a thing!? Lady Sakura would never...!"

"Hey, it was just a joke. I doubt Syaoran would either." Eriol laughed.

Akiho sighed. "Well, I better go pick up these hearts. These stupid Furies can't seem to feed themselves..."

"I'll stay here, then." Eriol replied.

Knowing that Sakura was safe, Akiho headed out and down to the main streets to pick up the strange supply of animal hearts that the strange beasts ate and headed to the stables carrying buckets full of their buy.

Inside the stables taking up one stall each were the large monstrous black horses, drool dripping from their fang-like teeth. Akiho casually walked in to find Yuna standing in the stables and started chucking the hearts at them-they caught the organ with their sharp bloody teeth and chewed it loudly; some tore theirs to shreds; others banged it against the wood before eating it.

"Syaoran hasn't been here yet." Yuna said.

"I wonder what his reaction will be when he sees them." Akiho replied. "Was he okay?"

"He's not hurt, if that's what you mean. Tomoyo and Lord Syaoron are with him right now, I believe." Yuna answered.

"What do you think about the prophecy?" he then asked.

Akiho looked surprised for a moment. "I'm not sure. Lady Sakura has been giving me mixed signals lately... but she seems to really care for Lord Syaoran."

"She's been through a lot. Hopefully Syaoran will be able to help her heal."

Akiho nodded agreement. After all, Sakura was finally starting to smile again.

Syaoran found he was finally able to enter his common room without any hindrance when he got back. Inside and waiting was his father looking very concerned and Tomoyo panicking.

"Where in the world could he possibly go!?" Tomoyo asked.

"Me?" Syaoran asked as he walked in.

"Where have you been?" his father asked.

"Gardens. Sort of...lost track of time." Syaoran shrugged as he walked over to the table to make himself a cup of tea.

He got a sceptical stare from his father, but neither he or Tomoyo said anything. They were relieved to know he was fine. Tomoyo busied herself with other tasks, knowing he was safe, and allowed for the two to talk.

"You two were alone together?" his father prompted.

"What?"

"You and Lady Sakura."

"So, what?"

"So, you were?" his father raised a brow.

"We didn't do anything." Syaoran snapped.

"What a darn shame." He sighed.

Syaoran stared at his father with confusion, "You-you want us to do something?"

"oh, that's completely between you and Sakura if anything were to happen." He shrugged.

Syaoran sighed. Whatever.

"We were quite worried though. Poor Tomoyo looked as though she'd die from a heart attack."

Syaoran frowned, "Well maybe people shouldn't be sticking things on the doorknob so I can't get inside." He muttered.

His father laughed. "So that's what happened."

"I'm pretty sure it was Eriol. Otherwise it's someone else." Syaoran replied with a shrug. "Why were you so worried, anyway?"

The question earned a frown from his father. "I know you're sharper than you've been letting on recently. You've always been observant of everything around you."

Syaoran stayed silent.

"You're living in an unfamiliar territory, in a castle where the leader wants you dead. Of course, I was- _am-_ worried."

"Well you weren't worried when you "died" and left me alone."

"I was always keeping an eye on you." Syaoron snapped. "Do you really think I'd leave you to fend for yourself without some sort of protection?"

When Syaoran didn't answer, he sighed softly. "I'll tell you why I left when the time is right. But right now, you need to focus on keeping yourself safe."

Syaoran heard the door click shut seconds later, letting him know his father was no longer in the room.

…

Between doing nothing and trying not to pick fights with Kei, about a week passed. Sakura spent if not all her time but most of it with Syaoran and on occasion, were joined by his father. When Syaoran woke one morning, he walked down the staircase only to find a stern look on Yuna's face and Tomoyo looked more uncomfortable than usual.

"What is it?" Syaoran asked.

"There's a meeting." Yuna answered. "You're to be there."

Syaoran was very confused. "A meeting about what?" he asked. Tomoyo shifted uncomfortably.

"About the hunters and traitors. I'm afraid I don't know all of the details." His guard answered.

"Should I be worried...?" Syaoran questioned nervously. He didn't like the sound of where this was going.

"Stay on your guard. Unfortunately, we are not allowed in unless invited, though I doubt Kei will try anything with your father there."

Syaoran was starting to feel uncomfortable. So, they were confidential meetings and Kei could possibly start something-that wasn't a good sign.

"Breakfast is about to be served-we should hurry down." Tomoyo said quickly.

He nodded and they headed towards the dining hall, where Syaoran took his usual seat.

Things only felt worse at breakfast. Kei had a confident, disgusting sneer on his face that only made him dread what this meeting was about. Sakura looked a little worried too, even dressed in her beautiful peacock blue dress that drifted into a marvellous sea of greens towards the bottom.

As soon as Syaoron entered the dining hall however, Kei's face immediately became placid. Syaoran was a little confused but didn't think much of it, and concentrated on eating despite what little appetite he had.

Upon leaving the hall, Syaoran felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see his father behind him.

"Are you about to go to the meeting?" he asked.

Syaoran nodded grimly.

"What are you worried about?" his father asked him.

"Everyone seems to be worried that something's going to happen to me at this meeting." Syaoran confessed.

"If Kei tries anything-to you or Lady Sakura-he knows what I'll do."

Syaoran then watched as his father walked away, heading down the corridor on his own. Syaoran sighed. Even so-what if someone did get hurt?

"Is something the matter, Syaoran?" Sakura asked.

He looked over. "Oh-no, not really." He lied.

She looked at him with a painful smile, "Is it the meeting...?" she asked.

He sighed in defeat. "Yeah."

"Did you want to go together? I have to be there as well." She offered.

"Alright." He replied.

As they walked, Sakura seemed unusually troubled by something. Syaoran was about to ask what was wrong, but found themselves at the door of the room they were holding the meeting in.

Sakura entered before him, and as he walked inside, he found a very large, round wooden table surrounded by chairs; Kei sat in the largest and most elaborate looking chair, while everyone else sat on the more simple chairs. Sakura, not wishing to sit next to Kei, sat next to Syaoran instead. He felt a little more comfortable with her next to him, but Kei looked so angry he could break the table with just a small touch. Syaoron shot Kei a warning glance, and for a moment, his anger disappeared.

To Syaoran's surprise, Eriol was sitting in at the meeting as well. There were a few others that he didn't recognise. Once they were all seated, Kei stood.

"As you all know, we have been in conflict with the hunters and traitors for quite some time now." He began. "For a while, they have been lying low. But now they are closing in."

"What makes you say that?" Syaoron questioned.

"I've just recently found out that they've taken hold of another city." Kei replied. "But this one is strange. They've held onto it for longer than usual."

"Why would they do that? They completely annihilated a small village in one night." Sakura laughed bitterly.

"I don't know, but I can assure you it's true." Kei returned.

Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"And what do you suggest we do about it, Kei?" Syaoron asked. "It could be a trap set to lure us out."

"I say we take the hunters by surprise." He replied.

"You want to take such a huge risk barging in like that?" Syaoron frowned, "There is a high risk to this plan. We can't afford to lose any of our numbers."

Syaoran noticed Kei's face going redder and redder with rage. "I know the risks. But I am in charge-"

"The blue bloods are in charge, not _you_ specifically." Syaoron replied coldly.

Everyone looked back and forth between the two as the room grew colder, the air between them icy.

"This is the plan. I will not change it." Kei hissed.

Syaoron narrowed his eyes. "So, I assume this requires travelling, then? Just where is this city, exactly?" he questioned.

"It's in Roma."

"That is quite a travel..." Someone else murmured.

"How many hunters are in this city in Roma?" he continued to question Kei as he turned a fountain pen in his fingers.

"Roughly three hundred." Kei answered.

"And you want to run head on into danger!? No!" Sakura cried.

"Listen, Sakura; we'll be keeping another one of our cities safe. With the hunters gone-"

"Kei, you aren't thinking about the women and children that could be killed in the crossfire!"

"This is war! Sometimes there has to be sacrifices." He said harshly.

"And sacrificing the women and children to achieve your goal makes everything right?" Syaoran hissed.

Kei narrowed his eyes at him. "No one asked _you_."

"I believe I have a right to speak at this meeting."

Knowing he was right, Kei stayed silent.

"Kei, think about this..." Sakura begged.

"I have, and I believe it's the best way to help them." He replied calmly.

"It's also the best way to lose followers." Syaoron muttered under his breath.

"We will begin travel next week. Dismissed." Kei dismissed the meeting, and everyone stood.

Sakura looked very downcast as she left, not speaking to anyone. From her reaction, Syaoran assumed that she was extremely unhappy with the decision though he didn't entirely understand the whole reason why. He left before Kei could say or do anything to him and headed back to the common room to tell the other two about what happened.

Both Tomoyo and Yuna were waiting for him when he got back. He explained to them about the meeting and what had happened, and in particular Sakura's distress.

"Poor girl..." Tomoyo murmured.

"You don't need to worry about that. Worry about what's coming." Yuna advised.

"You mean Roma?" Syaoran said.

"If Kei stays true to his word, he'll likely throw you out onto the battlefield too." Yuna murmured.

"What?"

"Be warned."

Syaoran sighed heavily. He didn't like where this was going at all.

…

Akiho was outraged when Sakura told her what had happened at the meeting.

"Why is he so stupid! Honestly-he just can't help himself, can he?" Akiho growled as she combed through Sakura's hair.

"It can't be helped." Sakura said lowly. "What's done is done."

"But surely he knows our numbers are already low? Why would he risk such a thing?" Akiho asked.

Sakura sighed. She wished she knew herself. "I don't know, Akiho."

Akiho bit her lip and her face fell. She didn't like when Sakura looked so down-it made the room around her feel cold-but she had noticed that lately Sakura had been smiling a lot more. She wondered if it was due to Syaoran, but shoved the thought away, and returned to combing her hair.

A soft knock at the door broke the silence. "Come in," Sakura called out.

Eriol stepped inside and bowed. "Lord Syaoron is here to see you, my lady."

Sakura stood, "Thank you, I'll be right down."

Eriol nodded and left as Sakura turned to Akiho. She smiled, "Try not to worry. All we can do now is put our faith in our people."

Then, she turned and headed out of her room and down the stairs.

Syaoron smiled kindly upon seeing Sakura enter the room. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

She smiled grimly. "You can tell, can't you?"

"Often it is better if you can talk to someone about it." He answered.

Sakura sighed heavily. "Well... It's what Kei has in store for us."

Syaoron nodded knowingly. "He certainly doesn't have our best interests at heart."

"Kei is obsessed with power. I can't help but think it's my fault after what happened back then..."

"You are not to blame for Kei's destructive actions, Sakura. Only he is to blame." Syaoron spoke gently.

Sakura smiled a little, "Thank you, my lord, but..."

"You seem troubled by something more. Is it because of your decision to bring him to this world?" Syaoron asked.

Sakura found she couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry. I know this isn't what you or your wife wanted for him..."

Syaoron shook his head. "It was only a matter of time. I guess we were naive in thinking we could avoid it. It will be my fault if he dies-I haven't prepared him for this life."

"But it's because of the actions you and your wife took that Syaoran is still alive today."

He smiled grimly. "Thank you, but you don't need to give me reassurance."

Sakura smiled. "I'm sure Syaoran doesn't really blame you."

"I wouldn't blame him even if he did." Syaoron murmured, "Do you regret bringing my son here?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't. I know that Kei despises him, and there are some issues, but I don't regret my decision."

"Good. I'm not sure how I'd feel if you were spending your time with him out of guilt." Syaoron said with a smile.

Sakura smiled, "He's fun to be around."

"Leave my sons safety to me. But I won't stop you if you wish to help." He added.

She nodded and he headed towards the door, leaving her alone with Akiho.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Sorry this chapter is a day late. I had a really awful weekend, but i'm doing better now. Not great, but better. Thank you all for your kind support! I'm really happy to be sharing this story with you. Let me know what you thought of this chapter!**

 **See you next Monday!**


	7. On The Move

**Hi everyone. I'm really sorry for not updating on Monday-I had to go into hospital. I'm home now, but we still don't know what was wrong. I'm seeing a doctor again next week, so hopefully we'll get some answers.**

 **I'm uploading two chapters today because I feel bad. lmao.**

* * *

An announcement was made to the public the next day. From everyone's reaction, Syaoran assumed that travelling was not unusual. He found this very confusing at first, until he watched a small child place their whole very large doll house into a small pink shoulder bag and take off.

He questioned Sakura on this later in the evening, and she just gave a small shrug. "Of course." She replied. "We're constantly moving around due to the war, so we make use of small spells that allow us to connect the insides of bags, for example, to other spaces."

"I guessed as much." He sighed. He remembered reading a fantasy series when he was a teenager where the characters used such a spell. He wondered if the author had known anything about the Night World when writing the story but shrugged it off.

"You knew about the spell?" she asked with surprise.

He nodded, "I read about it in one of the books from the library." He wasn't exactly lying-he had read about it in one of the library's books but didn't think much of it at the time. It was more like he skimmed over it, to be exact.

Sakura smiled, "When do you read those books?"

He shrugged, "In my spare time. Usually before I sleep."

"You know," Sakura started, "Not once have you asked me about our eating habits in this world."

"I guess I thought there was no point." Syaoran replied.

Sakura laughed softly, "Oh really?"

He nodded. "Though there is one thing I haven't really understood..."

"Let me guess-the blood?" she asked with a smile.

"Yeah."

"Feeding on a blue bloods blood can get you through maybe two months. How long have you been here now? It must be nearing two months."

He frowned suspiciously. "Yeah..."

"You'll know when you really need blood." She said.

"I'm not sure I want to know how it feels." Syaoran mumbled. Sakura laughed softly.

They sat in silence for a while and Sakura smiled as Sora jumped up onto her lap and began pummelling her and purring.

"Is there ever a time Sora isn't with you, Syaoran?" Sakura asked with amused curiosity.

"Usually whenever you're with me she'll migrate towards you." He replied with a small shrug.

Sakura laughed.

There was a knock at the door and Syaoron entered, raising his brow upon seeing the two alone. "Am I interrupting?" he asked.

"There's nothing to interrupt." Syaoran muttered.

"Sure, sure. Anyone up for a drinking game?" he asked.

"I'm not dealing with you, drunk." Syaoran snapped.

"Pity. Sakura?"

"Don't get her involved!"

"Sure, I don't mind." Sakura smiled.

"Right. I'm going upstairs; see you in the morning." Syaoran muttered, heading upstairs, already hearing his dad laughing behind him.

As he opened the door, he found the entire floor-every inch-to be covered in hundreds of plastic cups of water.

"What the hell!?" he shouted.

He shut the door and stormed back downstairs, where his father and Sakura had begun their survival game, and giving up on Eriol for the moment, he decided to see who would drop first.

For a while it seemed like both were at even odds, but at some early hour of the morning, Sakura collapsed back into the sofa in what looked to be a peaceful sleep. Syaoran sighed and draped a blanket over her small frame, but before he could sit down, she grabbed hold of his hand. He looked to her for any sign of consciousness but couldn't tell if she was awake or not. Instead he let her hold onto his hand while she slept and stood at the end of the couch.

His father, who was still sober, watched the sleeping girl with a careful eye as a turned the silver goblet around in his hands.

"What are you looking so worried about?" Syaoran asked with a frown.

After a moment of silence, his father looked to him. "Has she been acting in anyway strange to you these past few weeks?" he suddenly asked.

"Well yeah. Yesterday was strange. I think her moods been a bit off lately." Syaoran replied. "Not that I'd know-I don't know her that well."

"I thought that might be the case..." he murmured, as if he knew something.

"What? What is it?" Syaoran asked.

"Nothing I should be telling you. It's her business and hers alone. If anyone does tell you for some reason, or you find out and it isn't through her, I want you to come straight to me."

"Why?"

"Just do as I say." His father snapped.

Syaoran jumped a little-it had been a while since he'd heard such anger in his father's voice. "Ok..."

His father stood, "Anyhow, I should be leaving. I'm sure Akiho's having a fit about Lady Sakura." He said, walking towards the door. "Have a good night."

Syaoran wondered why he even listened to him sometimes. Once his father had left, he decided he should at least take Sakura back to her common room and leant down to pick her up-he was caught by surprise when she wrapped her arms around his neck, though he wasn't paying much attention to what was happening. Her hot breath against his neck forced him to go rigid, and he felt sharp fangs pierce his neck. Everything felt strange and he started to feel a little dizzy, like a rush of some sort of hormone was being released at the same time. Sakura pulled back and he stared at her with shock for a moment. He then noticed her weak pulse and realised why she had done what she had done. But, why hadn't she dealt with her problem earlier?

He then realised his dad had set him up for this and felt incredibly annoyed. Deciding he didn't want to deal with Akiho, he left Sakura-though it took a long while to separate from her-and slept on another couch as his chambers was still full of cups half full of water.

He woke in the morning with a heavy weight on top of him and groaned. He opened his eyes and turned his head only to find a pair of emerald green eyes staring back at him. Still tired and only half awake, he was confused. What was that...?

"Morning." She smiled.

Oh. OH. "What are you-!?"

"Calm down. I just moved places, is all. You're more comfortable than that silly couch."

"Oh, and I suppose this will just look alright to anyone that walks in?" he asked sarcastically.

"No one will walk in." She said. "At least, not without my permission." Her eyes flicked to the door and back again.

"Wait-what?"

"I have Tomoyo standing outside." Sakura smiled.

"She's already been in?" Syaoran asked.

"Eriol too. Another prank, no doubt." Sakura smiled, resting her hands on top of his chest.

"What if my dad comes in?"

"So, what if he does?" she asked with a sly smile. "Oh? Could it be you're embarrassed?"

"No!" Syaoran lied, his face red from embarrassment. "I just don't want him getting the wrong idea."

She raised her brow curiously, "Oh? And what idea would that be? That we're lovers?" she asked.

Syaoran stayed silent, so she changed the topic. "Thanks to your blood last night, I'm now completely replenished. Allow me to do the same for you." She said softly, holding out her hand.

He looked at her, and then to the pale veins in her arm. He could smell the sweet scent of her blood, and as much as he wanted it, he pushed her arm away.

"No."

She glared at him and clamped her hips down over his-he seized for a moment, surprised by her sudden reaction. "Don't do that!" he hissed.

"Virgin." She muttered.

"I don't want your blood." He repeated.

He felt kind of bad because she looked a little hurt by his words.

"Why?" she asked.

"I just don't feel I can take it."

"But I want you to take it." Sakura said softly. Her expression was pleading, and it was obvious there was something he didn't quite understand about this.

He sighed. "Ok."

Sakura sat up and Syaoran followed. He wasn't sure where to bite and was kind of regretting not biting the wrist.

She pulled back her hair to bare the skin of her neck along with the ever so pale veins beneath, and he leant into her, biting into her neck and tasting her sweet blood. Her eyes drifted closed until he parted, and she almost whimpered at the loss of warmth. She quickly recovered herself and smiled at him.

"This is our secret. Don't tell anyone." She said softly before standing and walking out the room, the marks in her neck already healed.

"Secret...?" he repeated to himself.

Tomoyo entered with her usual smile, "Perhaps you'd like to get dressed?" she suggested.

He stood, deciding that it was probably a good idea, and headed upstairs to his chambers that were now free of cups and had been cleaned. He sighed and shut the door, walking over to the chest of draws and pulled out a very dark green long-sleeved top, and cargo pants to wear also. He dressed quickly, heading out the door with Sora hanging over his shoulder as per usual, and headed down to the dining hall.

Sakura was already there when he arrived, dressed in a fine shoulder less gown and a tight ruby red bodice with her black velvet skirt with lace infringements on it and fell in a handkerchief hem. On her feet she wore high heeled black boots that came up to the knee and were laced up over her fishnet stockings, and on her hands, she wore fingerless lace gloves. In her hair she had red and black ribbons that laced down and over her shoulders. This was possibly one of the strangest outfits he'd ever seen her in, but she looked amazing and no one else batted an eye. He noticed that she seemed to be wearing a choker with five red roses on it, each with a stone hanging from the flower, and in her ears were matching earrings.

He quickly took his seat before he could be caught staring by Kei, who had just entered, and noticed Sakura's dress as well. "You look lovely today, Sakura." He greeted as he sat.

"Thank you." Sakura replied with a courteous smile.

Syaoron entered and sat, "The style of clothing is chosen from the Victorian era, but with a more modern look, I assume?" he immediately commented. "I believe in the human world it's referred to as 'alternative' or 'steampunk'."

Sakura smiled, very amused. "Indeed, it is." Sakura said.

"You do look beautiful." He commented.

Syaoran sighed. Suddenly, he felt a very cold hard glare on him, and his heart fell. Kei was keeping an eye on him again. Even when breakfast was served, his glare didn't break away from Syaoran. Syaoran didn't understand why he was such a target of hatred for Kei-what had he done?

He looked to his father who was tapping away to some tune in his head and knew he probably wouldn't get any straight answers out of him. Sakura seemed to have something keeping her at bay too. He felt Sora nudge him and he pet her as usual, and she jumped off his shoulder to lie by his feet while he ate breakfast.

It wasn't until when he was heading to the library later that day, he figured out part of the reason why Kei was so furious with him. Caught by surprise, Syaoran was flung against the wall nearest to him-everything ached and his head span.

Kei lifted him by the front of his shirt, "So, you made a blood pact with Sakura?" he snarled.

"A what?"

"Don't play dumb. I know what you two did." He hissed.

Wincing, Syaoran gave a half smile. "Prove it." He spat. "Prove we did anything, like you say. I have no idea what you're on about."

"Fucking little..."

Enraged, Kei punched Syaoran hard in the jaw and a deep cut formed in his lip, bleeding heavily. Within seconds it began to heal, much to Syaoran's surprise, and he knew that Kei must have had his suspicion immediately confirmed. He also knew that now Kei wanted to kill him more than ever. The next moment he raised his fist, Syaoran knew he couldn't block it. He was cornered and Kei had a firm hold of him. He turned his head, closed his eyes and waited for the worst.

Instead, when Kei's fist came down, he heard something like the cracking of glass. He opened his eyes and turned his head. There, cracked beneath his fist, was some kind of autumn-orange coloured transparent shield. Around the edges were cherry blossoms and autumn leaves, and it seemed to be holding itself in mid-air on its own. Suddenly, the cracks reached the edge of the shield and it shattered into a million pieces and disappeared, creating a very forceful blast and sending Kei backwards about ten feet.

"That's enough!" Tomoyo shouted from down the hall.

Syaoran, who had dropped to the floor, looked up to see Sakura with Tomoyo and Yuna.

 _'Just in time...'_ He thought to himself.

Sakura ran towards him quickly, but Kei had regained himself. He grabbed her arm, stopping her, and threw her into the ground.

"Sakura!" Tomoyo and Syaoran cried.

Despite what Kei had done, she wasn't deterred. Wind was her other specialty and she was stronger with the blood pact. She cut up the grass around her with high velocity winds and hit her target, sending Kei back through the grass with some severe wounds. She knew he'd be fine and immediately ran over to Syaoran who was now standing.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He replied.

"Let's go sit down," she said. "I'm worried.

"Really, I'm fine." Syaoran said. He saw her look of disappointment and sighed, "I was heading to the library-do you want to come?"

Her face brightened and she walked with him to the library, where they sat at a large table together. There was no one else in there so they wouldn't be interrupted.

"What happened?" she asked with a worried voice.

He sighed heavily. "I have no idea how, but he knew."

She immediately understood what he meant-he could tell just by the way her face suddenly turned pale. "I thought that may have been the case when I saw the look of anger on his face." She murmured quietly.

"He looked as if he wanted to murder me-he probably would have too, if you hadn't intervened." Syaoran said.

"I don't think Kei will say anything." Sakura said softly. "It was mainly him I didn't want to know, but there are others out there who mustn't know about it either, so keep it secret."

Now it was really starting to nag at Syaoran. "I'm sorry, but I'm completely missing this. Can you explain why I have to keep this a secret?" Syaoran asked irritably, having just been beaten up by Kei.

Sakura looked to Tomoyo and Yuna for privacy, "We'll be out in the corridor." Tomoyo smiled, dragging the guard with her.

Syaoran sighed as the left and turned to Sakura. "Right," he said, 'so this secret stuff... What is it?" he asked Sakura.

She smiled. "My family goes back through generations. I'm the last surviving member. There are so many of our kind trying to get their hands on me, and on you. Our pact protects each other, it's an oath." She explained softly.

"Usually, however Syaoran, a pact isn't made between two people unless they're very trusting of each other...for example in a relationship..." Sakura whispered and Syaoran stared at her. His gaze was questioning and confused, and she gently placed a hand over his.

"Do you trust me?" she whispered.

"Yes."

"I'm glad to hear that." She said with a small smile, "I'll give you some time to absorb the information. See you later."

He watched as she stood and left, and then after sitting in his seat thinking for a while, he headed off to find his dad.

His dad was sitting in his private common room with a book open at his lap when Syaoran entered. As soon as he looked up there was a look of utmost anger and rage. "You IDIOT." He yelled at his son. "If Kei is tailing you like that, you burn him!" he yelled.

"Oh, and I've had so much training in the arts of the elements, have I?" Syaoran snapped back.

His father had finally calmed some. "No, you're right. It's not your fault at all." He sighed.

Syaoran sat down, and though his injuries had healed, his shoulder still ached.

"I assume Kei attacked because he was angry with you about the blood pact, then?" his father proceeded.

"Yeah-hey! You knew Sakura needed some source of blood-you also knew that Eriol would do something stupid to my room."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." His father looked away with a slight grin on his face, half amused.

"I'm not a blood donor!" Syaoran snapped.

"Aren't you? I'm pretty sure you donated in high school."

"Honestly, right now I'm seriously considering killing you."

His father snorted. "You couldn't even if you wanted too."

"Why's that?" Syaoran muttered.

"You're too soft." He shrugged.

Syaoran rolled his eyes and changed the topic back to what it was originally about. His father didn't seem too worried, until he brought up the topic Sakura had mentioned about there being people after her, and after him.

"What did she mean by that?" Syaoran asked.

His father simply looked at him and shrugged, "Perhaps you'll have to ask her."

Syaoran walked away feeling even more frustrated. His father hadn't really given him the answers he wanted, but he should have expected that. His father wasn't so inclined as to tell him everything just yet.

…

Sakura stared blankly at Kei as he looked at her furiously. He was so angry with her about having made a blood pact with Syaoran and had been arguing with her for the past half hour about it. So far, he was losing the argument.

"He can't be trusted!" he insisted angrily.

"I believe that is my decision to make in this situation. Now, are you going to let me leave or not?" She replied coolly.

"Sakura, I'm only trying to help you-don't you understand that?"

"I don't need help, Kei!" Sakura snapped. "And you could use with thinking about how you choose to deal with your anger!" She stormed past him and out the door, leaving him angry and frustrated.

Sakura found Syaoran later that night at the owlery by chance. They were alone and up in the tall tower Syaoran could feel the beginnings of the cool change in the weather.

"What's wrong?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura smiled and picked up one of the snowy owls. "I don't suppose your father told you about the reason as to why there are other vampires after us, did he?" Sakura asked.

"No, he seems to be avoiding the subject." Syaoran replied.

"I see..." Sakura murmured. "Do you trust me?" she suddenly asked again.

"More than the others around here." Syaoran replied. "I've already answered that question. Why did you ask again?"

She smiled sadly. "My whole family is dead." She said softly. "They were all killed by hunters, everyone until only I remained. I wasn't with my family at the time of the massacre, so they couldn't get to me, you see." She explained sadly.

"Why are you telling me this?" Syaoran asked. "Isn't this personal?"

"I trust you." She smiled again. "I know you wouldn't harm me."

She was right of course. He wouldn't harm her and as much as he trusted her too, something troubled him about her.

"The easiest way to kill off our species is to simply kill off the blue bloods, Syaoran." Sakura said softly.

Her words made his blood feel like ice. That was why her entire clan was massacred in one night?

"The traitors want to kill off their own species? But that doesn't make sense!"

"I know." She replied. "We aren't an immortal species-we simply live longer than humans do. At some point we will reach the end of our life span."

"So basically, they just want to kill off all of the blue bloods-that's it?" Syaoran asked.

"Yes, you could put it that way." Sakura replied.

"Great-class warfare. My favourite." He muttered.

She laughed. "Not quite."

"Then what is it?"

Sakura sighed heavily. "Your father has told me that you're familiar with what he describes as typical, trashy vampire stories."

Syaoran cringed. "Yeah. And?"

"For the most part, it's true. Blue Bloods can turn humans."

He furrowed his brow. "Are you saying that the traitors are actually…?"

She nodded. "They were all human once."

Syaoran was speechless. She smiled sadly at him, knowing he might not say anything more. And he didn't.

Sakura watched him leave once it got late. She sighed heavily to herself, remembering her past, and then froze in fear. The images of 'that' night still haunted her, even with the methods she had taken to forget, but it was simply no use. Memories were with you forever and there was simply no way to get rid of them. She stood and began walking slowly across the castle grounds, lost in thought. She reached her common room where Eriol and Akiho were waiting as usual.

"You were out for a while, My Lady." Akiho commented.

Sakura half smiled, "Sorry to worry you. I'll be heading up to my chambers now. Have a good evening, you two." She replied and continued up to her room.

Akiho looked at Eriol with nail-biting worry. "What's wrong with her? She's never like this..."

"I'm sure she'll be fine in a few days' time." Eriol shrugged.

Akiho grabbed his shoulders, "How can you not be worried!?" she shrieked. "She goes to bed earlier than four in the morning!"

"Maybe that's a good thing, you know? She's actually getting some sort of sleep...?" he half shrugged, not really sure what to say.

Akiho sighed in defeat. "Yes, well, you do have a point..." She mumbled.

"Perhaps we should go to bed too." Eriol suggested. "She'll wake us if need be."

"Ok..."

They left the common room, and meanwhile Sakura sat in front of her vanity and picked up the dusty ivory photo frame. She didn't bother dusting it off as she picked it up, staring at the photo of her and a handsome young man standing beside her. She lifted the frame and brought it down quickly, smashing it on the edge of the vanity. Glass shattered everywhere over the floor and the frame was in pieces, the photo torn. She stood, leaving the mess where it was, and went to bed.


	8. Falling On Deaf Ears

The travel was a little bizarre, Syaoran found. Everyone seemed fine with walking, not that he was terribly fazed by it either, but after walking from one state to another in one day which should have been completely impossible, he just didn't know what to think anymore. The castle had disappeared when they had left as well, though he wasn't all that surprised-he was more surprised at the horses, or Furies.

The strange fearsome creatures were taken care of by Akiho, who fed them hearts on a regular basis throughout the day. Syaoran kept his distance from them and was relieved when they finally came to a stop for the night. He sat with Sakura in her common room, not daring to brave his own just yet in fear of being pranked by Eriol again. He ignored Akiho's wary glances towards him as he slumped back in the couch, not that Sakura seemed too bothered by it.

"So where are we...?" Syaoran muttered.

"On the border of Ser." Sakura answered. "Are you curious as to why it only took us a day to get such a distance?"

"I've decided I'm not even going to ask." He grumbled.

She smiled a little. "You already know the answer."

Silence fell between them and Syaoran sighed. Sakura looked over at the silver bowl full of grapes and picked one up to eat.

"So," she said after eating it, "If you don't intend on sleeping here tonight, I suggest you return to your common room." She smiled.

He stood, "You're probably right." He said unhappily. "See you tomorrow."

Syaoran left and he returned to his own common room, where his father, Syaoron, was sitting talking with Tomoyo. They were engaged in a rather chipper conversation, and only looked up as Syaoran walked into the room.

"Ah, you've finally decided to show." Syaoron smiled.

"Shut it." Syaoran muttered.

"Aww, did Sakura kick you out?" he teased. "Poor child."

"Seriously, I'm going to... Did you tell her to kick me out or something?" Syaoran quickly asked with suspicion.

"May have." His father shrugged innocently.

Syaoran glared at him.

"Anyway, Syaoran, there's something I want to speak with you about." His father's tone suddenly became more serious and Syaoran began to wonder.

They took a seat and he watched as his father sighed-his expression seemed conflicted.

"Tomoyo, leave us please." Syaoron asked. Tomoyo left quickly, leaving them alone.

"Syaoran, you're reaching an age that opens up several possibilities to you. If you were still human, a career would have been one of these."

Syaoran stared at his dad for a moment. Where was this going?

"Your mother never wanted you to walk down the path of prophecy. Neither do I. All we wanted was for you to have a normal life, but now that's impossible. I'm sorry. I'm sorry you never knew the truth, and I'm sorry you still don't." He said to his only son.

"What do you mean? Are you going somewhere?" Syaoran asked. "Is there something I have to do?"

His father smiled and embraced him for a minute, "Don't change. Always be yourself." He parted and looked his son in the eyes. "I've told you a thousand times in the past as a child, and I know you don't need to hear it again. But still-you're not alone. She's already proven that to you. Trust her, Syaoran."

Syaoran watched with half shock and half surprise as his dad walked out. But he was confused-what did he mean...? Did he know something was going to happen that he was going to be involved with?

 _'He always knows something's happening.'_ He thought bitterly to himself as Tomoyo re-entered the room.

"Is there something on your mind you want to talk about?" she asked.

Syaoran shook his head, "No, I'm fine." He lied. "Just tired."

She looked at him sceptically before walking back out to complete her next job, and he decided to head up to his room while she was gone. It wasn't entirely false-he was tired. He opened his door and went to step inside, only to trip on a rope at the entrance.

"Damn it!" he cursed.

Sora, who was sitting on the bed looking at him curiously, turned her head in confusion. He stepped over the rope and untied it, flinging it out the door behind him and slamming the door shut. He kicked off his shoes and changed into something else for the night before slipping into bed. Sora curled up beside him, purring loudly as he pet her. He still couldn't sleep due to what his father had told him earlier.

There was rustling at the window which he assumed another of Eriol's pranks, so he ignored it, until he heard the window shut completely. He sat up to see Sakura of all people sitting on the windowsill, still managing to look prim and proper as always.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I got bored." She shrugged. "Kei wouldn't shut up."

"You walked out on Kei?" he stared at her, wide eyed and lost for words.

"Of course, I did. He has no manners these days-I'm sad to say I've no idea what happened to him." She muttered unhappily.

"When he realises you're gone, he'll search the castle! I'll be _dead_ if you're seen here." Syaoran said anxiously.

Sakura swung her legs a little. "No, you won't be." She smiled softly. "Akiho usually takes care of things for me. This isn't the first time I've disappeared from a conversation with him." She replied.

Syaoran looked a little confused. "Where...do you usually go?" he asked quietly.

"The gardens, usually." She smiled.

"Then why did you come here...?"

she looked a little dazed at first but came around quickly. "Is it ok if I stay here tonight?"

Syaoran stared at her, dumbstruck. "What?"

She stayed quiet and he continued.

"If you're seen in the morning by anyone I'll be completely destroyed, and I hate to think what Kei will do to you after everything he's already done." Syaoran said quietly with underlying anxiety and worry.

Sakura smiled. "Do you always worry about me that much?" she asked with a hint of amusement.

"I-I didn't mean to offend you or anything-"

"No, that's not what I meant." She smiled. "Thank you."

Syaoran was surprised when she hugged him and didn't know what to do.

"Sakura-what are you-?"

"Please, can I just stay like this a little longer?" she asked quietly.

He was going to say no, but he didn't want to hurt her feelings so he allowed her to stay where she was until she separated. He was tired and couldn't be bothered arguing, so he let her stay with him as she crawled in beside him, not so cruel as to force her to sleep on the couch and it wasn't something he felt like doing again either. Sakura fell asleep almost immediately and to his surprise, so did he.

…

Akiho looked up the staircase knowing that Sakura wasn't in her chambers, and wondered where she was. Kei had been taken care of, though it was difficult to get rid of him. He had been reluctant to leave until he had told Sakura something that he had deemed important, but Akiho had insisted she needed her rest and that he leave.

She turned with a sigh and sat down with Eriol, who was eating a piece of fruit. "Where do you think she is?" she asked.

"If you keep worrying about that, she'll likely never tell you anything ever." Eriol said with a slight frown.

"But-she could be in danger!" Akiho cried.

"Nah, I'm sure she's fine. Besides, she's got some pretty neat fighting skills up her sleeve. I'd be more worried about Syaoran-throw him out on the battlefield and he'll be dead in less than five minutes." Eriol said.

"You'd give him that long?" Akiho scoffed. "You're being way too generous! I'd say less than five seconds."

"Fine-2.5 minutes."

"Is this some kind of contest about my son?" Syaoron asked curiously.

Both guards jumped at the sound of his voice and turned their heads quickly to the window where he stood leaning against its edge.

"Geez you scared me..." Akiho mumbled, clutching her chest.

"Pardon my intrusion." He smiled. His attention turned to Eriol with the utmost curiosity for a brief second, but quickly disappeared. "Eriol, is it?"

"Yes, My Lord."

"I'd like to thank you for looking out for Syaoran while he was in the human world, even if it was brief. He's never had many friends." He said. "I hope you don't just consider your time there spent as only on an order, but because you enjoyed it too."

Eriol seemed a little flustered at first but settled. "I guess it wasn't too bad."

Syaoron seemed content with his answer and moved on to the next topic. "As for throwing him out onto the battlefield-you're likely right. He wouldn't last because he hasn't been trained yet-but he was trained in martial arts so he's not entirely useless. Give him two minutes, at least."

Akiho sniggered.

"Have a good night." He said and disappeared from the window.

Eriol heaved a tense sigh.

"What's wrong?" Akiho asked.

"I think he knows." Eriol murmured.

"What? About you? Nonsense!" Akiho waved it away and stood to make a cup of tea. "You're being paranoid. Let's have a cup of herbal tea and then go to bed."

"Ok..."

...

The next morning Syaoran woke to bright light streaming through his window and someone shaking him awake. "Come on, you need to get up."

He groaned. Sora meowed at him and nudged his face affectionately as if to tell him to get up, too.

"We don't have all day, Syaoran. We leave in half an hour."

Syaoran, still half asleep, realised that it was Sakura in his room. He sat up quickly and found her standing at the edge of the bed, dressed in a pale pink dress with creme and gold embellishments.

"So, you are awake." She sighed.

"When did you get changed?" he asked quickly.

"Calm down. I left ages ago-I went back to my chambers and changed and came here to see if you were awake. Tomoyo said you weren't so I told her I'd wake you myself." Sakura replied.

"Gee, aren't you kind?"

"Next time I'll leave you to sleep until the very last minute!" Sakura snapped.

"Ok, ok calm down..."

"Good. See you downstairs, then." She huffed and left his room. Syaoran rolled his eyes.

Throughout the whole day neither of them spoke about having spent the night together. Syaoran didn't want Kei to find out but Sakura honestly didn't care if he knew or not. What she was avoiding was the topic of her strange attitude by Akiho.

"My Lady, are you sure you're ok? You're photo frame-"

"That's nothing to worry about. I'm fine, Akiho." Sakura reassured her.

"But last night..."

"Honestly, when haven't I disappeared from one of those conversations?" Sakura sighed. It was quite true, of course.

Meanwhile, Syaoran was narrowly avoiding all sorts of small pranks by Eriol. He had narrowly missed a ball to the back of the head before and was walking cautiously with him to keep an eye on him.

"I'm starting to get real sick of your shit, Eriol." Syaoran muttered.

"But without a prank every morning, your life wouldn't be the same." He smiled sweetly.

He shook his head with irritation and continued walking.

"So, how's Lady Sakura?" he suddenly asked, changing topic and pulling a bag of boiled sweets out of his pocket.

"I think she's ok." Syaoran replied. "She woke me up this morning." He muttered.

"I know." He smiled. "I think she likes you."

"What?" Syaoran nearly shouted.

"Calm down. You two seem great together-always picking on each other, I mean." He said, popping another sweet in his mouth.

"This isn't the kind of advice I come here for." Syaoran muttered.

"Want one?" Eriol held out the packet to him and knowing that they were safe, he took one. At least he had believed they were until he ate it. It tasted strongly of garlic and made him gag, and he glared at Eriol.

He smiled, "I may have rolled some of them in garlic salt."

"You arse."

"You're welcome!" he laughed.

All he could think about was getting the taste out, but they were too busy moving for him to do anything about it. He dealt with it for the rest of the day and as he treaded down to the dark woods where the others were waiting, a tree branch came flying out at his face. Sakura burst into a fit of laughter as did Tomoyo, and Syaoran swore loudly.

"Eriol! One more time and you'll regret it!" Syaoran snapped.

"Yes sir." He replied through a fit of laughter.

There was a low rumbling and the ground shook, and Syaoran turned his head to find the castle rising from the ground in front of them.

"Well. I guess we should head inside." Sakura sighed. Syaoran nodded and followed.

…

Syaoron watched as his son entered the castle through the front gates as he sat in one of the very tall European trees outside it. He remembered Syaoran's mother well, and while she wasn't always very coordinated on her feet, she was always very kind and caring. She had often spoken about the wonders of the human world with a passion, how she longed to go there, and though the few months they spent in their house while she was pregnant were bliss, they didn't get to last forever. Rena's time came fast. She could have had the choice of spending a few years or so with him before passing, but to her that wasn't an option. Her son was to be raised as a human child and have no knowledge of the Night World.

She passed away that night, and it had broken Syaoron's heart to see her go when he had the chance to watch their son grow. He always put in extra work though-taking him out to random places or parks whenever he had the time, or just playing games around the house to occupy his son. As he grew, the games became less and Syaoran had more homework. There were times where he'd gotten detention-twice-because his homework simply wasn't good enough, but Syaoron put the school straight on that one.

He slid from the tree to the ground and began walking. Someone caught up with him-they were only small in comparison, with light wispy pale brown hair and bright blue eyes. She wore a burgundy coat over her black dress. Beside her was a male who looked a lot bulkier and was dressed completely in black except for the sword on his back. His trench coat hid any other weapons he might be carrying.

"Hello, you two-it's nice to see you serving me again." Syaoron greeted them politely.

"We'd be serving your son," the male said in his deep and harsh voice, "But some git down there is blocking our magic from getting in."

"I imagine that's Kei." Syaoron replied. "Sorry Dimitreu. Oh, and Inga." Syaoron murmured.

"Yes, My Lord?" the girl piped up.

"What can you tell me about Roma?" he asked.

"The city being held has the lunar twins." Inga explained quickly.

"Lunar and Artemis?"

"Yes...and they plan on killing the blue bloods as a public event. A sort of beheading, if you must, that's lead by the traitors and hunters." Dimitreu replied.

Syaoron froze. "Stay here. I'll come and join you-I need to tell my son."

He quickly disappeared, entering a warm room that felt comfortable. Syaoran recognised the immediate look on his father's face.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I have to leave for a while. I don't know when I'll be back." Syaoron said.

Syaoran nodded. "Alright..." he said quietly.

"I'm sorry. We haven't had much time to talk, but we'll talk when I return. Good luck with Roma." He immediately turned to leave, and Syaoran sighed heavily.

"You can't at least tell me why you're going this time?" he asked.

"Sorry...no." Syaoron answered and disappeared out the window.

He re-joined his two companions and guards back in the forest, and they headed off away from the large dreary castle towards Roma.

…

Kei burst through Sakura's door, his anger and rage clear on his face. Akiho followed behind him intent on getting him to stop, to let Sakura rest. He slammed his hand down on her vanity and she stared back at her reflection, unblinking and uncaring.

"You seem to be forgetting who's leading here!" he snarled.

"You, obviously." She replied sarcastically.

"Yes-me. Not that half-blood or his father either!"

"I'm a little confused," Sakura said, "Where is all of this coming from?"

"You know what I'm talking about. Where is he?!" he hissed.

"You mean his father? I've no idea." She replied, continuing to take her jewellery off.

"Listen to me you little bitch," he snarled, grabbing her wrists tightly. "Don't you dare forget who saved your life. You _will_ tell me everything you know."

Sakura freed one hand and slapped him. "Sorry to disappoint you Kei, but I have no idea where Lord Syaoron has gone. And don't you dare speak to me that way again. You have my gratitude for saving my life and you will never get anything more." She said angrily. "Now if you'd be so kind as to leave me in peace."

Kei turned on his heal and stormed out the door, leaving her.

"He seems angrier these days..." Akiho murmured.

"He never wanted to have Syaoran brought here." Sakura replied. "He's more popular than he anticipated."

"Kei has no consideration for you or your feelings! He goes about shouting he saved your life..." Akiho said angrily, upset with Kei and his arrogance.

"He doesn't know the full story, Akiho." Sakura said quietly. "And I'm sure if he knew, he'd never say such words again."

"Then why do you-?"

"Because, I don't ever want him to know what I did to save myself." She said softly.

Akiho was confused and didn't understand, but she didn't ask any more questions.

"I should head to bed now, Akiho." Sakura said.

Akiho nodded and left the room, shutting the door and leaving Sakura to herself.

…

Upon reaching Roma days later and finding a deserted area to settle, everyone in the castle was alive with chatter. Syaoran had no idea what the plan was and wasn't expecting to be included in on it, until he found himself sitting in the council hall looking at a map of a town with large red crosses all over it. Sakura wasn't present at this meeting.

From what Kei was saying, there were two blue bloods trapped in the biggest building, and they needed to be gotten away safely and unharmed. Syaoran was sceptical of Kei-he didn't like his plan. Yes, get the two blue bloods away-but what about the others?

"Well, Syaoran. Since you're so fond of running around and freeing people, you can have the task of finding the twins." Kei said.

"You think that wise?" Syaoran asked slowly. "Sending someone inexperienced out?"

Kei looked offended and the rest of the table began to agree. "Well," Kei's face contorted into an evil grin. "Now we'll get to see exactly how well you fare."

Syaoran kept his face straight and said nothing. He didn't want Kei to know he was afraid of what was to come. The rest of the council-especially Eriol-disagreed with Kei's decision considerably, but he wouldn't hear it. He dismissed the meeting and as they walked out Eriol rolled his eyes.

"He really does just want you dead. Wait till Lady Sakura hears about it-she'll tear his bloody head right off his neck." Eriol muttered unhappily.

"I wish someone would." Syaoran muttered under his breath.

They headed down to the common room in which Sakura resided; she was laying on a couch, half asleep before they walked in. She opened her emerald eyes and sat up, her burgundy dress falling back into place.

"The meeting-what happened?" she demanded.

"You don't want to know..." Syaoran said as he lay down on the couch opposite her, his back facing her.

She looked to Eriol and face him a piercing stare. He told her what had happened, and she gave a burst of outrage.

"Oh! He only did that because your father isn't here, and he knew he could get away with it! That's disgusting!"

Syaoran didn't think he'd ever heard her so angry before. He looked to Eriol who shrugged as if to say, 'I told you so' and Akiho was too busy drinking tea to notice.

Sakura stopped shaking with anger and sadness washed over her face. "I'm sorry, I can't do anything to help you. All I can do is let your father know the situation." She said quietly.

"It's not your fault." Syaoran replied. "But it will be a miracle if I get out of this alive."

Sakura hated the sound of his last sentence in her ears. "Is there no one else going with you...?" she whispered.

"No."

She grit her teeth. "Don't die." She whispered.

"I don't plan on it." He replied with a small smile.

Eriol went and sat with Akiho, leaving the two together but not entirely alone. Sakura lay down beside Syaoran, her hands against his back.

"What are you doing?" he asked, confused by her actions.

"Just let me stay for a while." She said quietly.

"Twice, now." He muttered.

"What?"

"Sorry, three times." He corrected himself.

She smiled, realising he was recounting the number of times she had asked for this favour, though the first was an accident.

"Please?"

He didn't deny her so she stayed, comfortable beside him on the couch, and neither of them moved until late.

Later, when Syaoran returned to his own common room still feeling anxious about what was to come in the next two days, he was hit in the face with a very nasty smelling, slimy piece of flesh as he walked through the door. It slid down his face and landed on the floor with a very loud splat, followed by Tomoyo's voice.

"Shit, I got him!" she gaped.

"I told you NOT to throw it." Yuna groaned.

Syaoran looked to the floor to find some sort of animal heart on the floor. "Tomoyo, why the hell were you throwing hearts around to begin with?" Syaoran asked.

"Because, My Lord, I may have been out feeding the Furies with Akiho..." She replied with a small shrug.

"And she thought it funny to throw one at your face as you walk through the door." Yuna answered for her.

"Ugh! You brute!" Tomoyo growled.

Syaoran picked a towel up from a pile on the silver table and began wiping the blood from his face, While Yuna sat and argued with Tomoyo about the pranks.

"It's fun and who cares-it keeps Syaoran on his toes in the morning." She insisted. she wasn't entirely wrong-it did keep him on his toes.

Yuna, who was standing behind her at the time of argument, decided to take a seat. "Is that so? It seems to be more of a pain to him."

"Oh, and you?" Tomoyo demanded.

"I'm his guard. I guard him and advise, as you should." He said sharply.

"Fine. Say I need advice..." Syaoran said. "You both heard about the meeting."

Tomoyo and Yuna gave him very tense looks. Neither liked what had taken place during that meeting.

"Syaoran," Yuna murmured, "Kei wants to see you killed in this, but none of us will let it happen. Whatever you do-get to those twins." He said.

Syaoran nodded. Fine. "I'm going to bed." He said.

"Night." Tomoyo smiled.

Syaoran walked up the stairs, still hearing the arguing behind home about the pranks. He didn't care anymore-he wanted to talk to his dad more than anything about what was going right now.

He felt only a small amount of relief when Sora jumped down to meet him. She nudged his hand affectionately and he picked her up. She sat on his knee for a while before disappearing to the corner of the bed and he decided on changing before going to sleep. He opened his draw to see that most of his clothes were back from having been washed, and he secretly wondered if there had been some kind of debate about him not being able to have them back. He laughed at the thought and changed, slipped into bed and blew out the candle.

As the afternoon sun shone brightly through the window and onto his face, Syaoran rolled over to bury his face beneath a pillow. His hand brushed against silk, but he paid no attention to it, until he felt it again. He opened his eyes this time to see Sakura dressed another one of her silk dresses, a brown leather belt tied around her waist.

"What are you-?"

"It's lunch and you weren't awake." She said in a most unimpressed tone.

"Forgive me for not having slept..." he muttered.

"You could have come and seen me!" she snapped.

He stayed silent as he stared at her sad and worried eyes. What was wrong with her?

"What?" he finally managed to get out, though it wasn't what he wanted to say.

"I'm worried!" she said.

He sighed. "Don't worry about me. I'll figure something out."

Sakura's face was mixed with pain and something else he couldn't quite figure out. He wanted to do something to ease the pain on her face, but what could he do? He didn't have a choice about this. There was silence and Syaoran didn't know what to say. A bell rang throughout the castle followed by someone shouting about an urgent council meeting, breaking the silence between them.

Sakura looked at him pleadingly. "Take me with you..." she said. "I'll talk to Kei."

"I don't think he's going to change his mind." Syaoran said, "But go ahead and try if you really want to."

He pulled his shirt over his head and pulled a black long sleeved one on instead. Sakura looked away, cheeks flushed as he finished changing, and they headed to the meeting together. Kei stared as they walked in-not just because Sakura had entered the meeting she wasn't meant to attend, but because she was with Syaoran and they were incredibly close.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Kei demanded.

"What is the meaning behind you giving Syaoran a task he isn't able to handle yet?" she asked quietly, yet her voice rang throughout the room.

"I have no idea what you mean." Kei smiled vaguely.

"You know what I mean!" she shouted. Everyone shrank back into their seats, everyone except Syaoran and Kei.

He blinked, "If you're talking about his task for tomorrow, then you have no need to worry." He lied.

Sakura's anger seemed to intensify. "Kei, do not lie to me." She hissed.

"M-my Lord, perhaps it's better, to ah, tell her your plans...?" one of the men spoke.

"Silence!" he snarled.

They shrank back again, leaving Sakura and Kei in a silent and fierce battle.

Finally, Kei spoke again. "Sorry Sakura, but I will not be changing my mind or strategy. It is too late."

"Sakura, please, just go and talk with Akiho or… someone." Syaoran murmured.

Sakura spoke harshly at Kei in what Syaoran was sure was three different languages mixed together as one and stormed out of the room.

Syaoran took a seat. The meeting couldn't get any worse, could it? But it did. Kei was so angry, it seemed, but Syaoran had expected that once Sakura walked in with him. He walked into the empty common room after the meeting ended, feeling miserable and lay on the couch, falling asleep due to feeling so tired, and woke to the sound of arguing later.

"Are you joking? It's an orange!" the familiar voice of Akiho cried.

"I'm pretty sure it's some other type of fruit..." Tomoyo said, unsure of herself.

"Fruit from the human world?" Sakura asked, walking in.

"Yes." Tomoyo replied. "I think this is...hmm... I can't remember the name of it..." she mumbled.

"Looks like a grapefruit." Eriol said.

"No way!" Akiho snorted.

"Oranges are you know, orange?" Eriol told her.

"Shut up." She muttered.

"Are these freshly picked?" Sakura asked curiously, picking up an apple.

"Yes-how can you tell?" Tomoyo asked.

"Oh-there's something moving in it..." Sakura mused.

"What?" Tomoyo glanced over and Syaoran sat up to have a look, interested to see what was going on. A big, fat worm dropped out from a hole in the apple, and Tomoyo screamed so loud his eardrums nearly burst.

"What?" he asked irritably, sitting up.

"That-that thing!" she pointed disgustedly at the wriggling worm on the floor.

"What about it? It's a freaking worm-it won't kill you." Syaoran snapped.

"It's eyes-it's face-where the heck is its _mouth_!?" Tomoyo cried.

Syaoran stared at her and there was an odd silence that filled the air before he snorted into a fit of laughter. "I never pictured a vampire to have an irrational fear of worms."

"Come off it, that's not fair." Sakura chided.

"Get that thing away!" Tomoyo screeched.

"I'll take it!" Akiho beamed, picking the worm up carefully in her hands.

"Take the apple with you. The worms will eat it." Syaoran said.

"They eat!?" Tomoyo cried.

"Obviously-it didn't drill its way out of the apple, now, did it?" Syaoran rolled his eyes and lay back down, still hearing Tomoyo mutter 'gross, gross, gross,' under her breath. He smiled-at least they never got tiring.

…

Looking out at the very old city from his high tree branch, Syaoron surveyed the area slowly and carefully. Lights lit the tiny windows of Roma's smallest city but there was hardly any movement except for hunters walking around like guard dogs, guarding their city and ensuring that curfew was obeyed. He spotted the largest building-a tall cathedral-and sighed. This was going to be difficult.

There was rustling of leaves and he looked over to see Dimitreu sitting beside him.

"Care for an apple, sir?" he asked in his no nonsense voice.

"Thank you." Syaoron replied. "Where's Inga?"

"Delivering your message, my lord." Dimitreu answered.

"Good. I imagine Kei might try something while I'm gone." Syaoron said. "But I trust Syaoran will be fine."

"He survived seven years without you-I'm sure he'll be perfectly fine now."

"I know."

They sat in silence for a while, until someone else joined them.

"Inga." Syaoron greeted.

"Sir." She returned.

"Was your message received?" he asked.

"Yes-by Lady Sakura." She replied.

"Good.

"She sends her regards, and another message also." Inga replied.

"Oh?" Syaoron murmured.

"Your son has been tasked with finding the twins." Inga told him.

The branch beneath them snapped and they fell, landing neatly on their feet on the branch below them.

"Is that so?" he muttered, unimpressed.

The broken branch fell through the rest of the branches and hit the bottom with a loud crunch.

"My lord?" Dimitreu murmured, "Would you like us to kill Kei? It could be easier."

"Tempting, but I'll resist. The brat knows what I'll do." Syaoran replied, calmer.

"What about your son?" Inga asked.

"He'll have aid." He said simply.

"What? But Lady Sakura said-"

He turned and looked at her, cutting off her sentence.

She sighed, understanding at once.

* * *

 **Review?**


	9. Fight For Your Life

**Hi everyone! Thanks for your reviews! I just wanted to clear up anything about names: Syaoran's father is named "Syaoron" in this story. they're two different names so you'll have to pay attention to the spelling and context. i'm not changing it lmao. So no, I didn't mess up :)**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

Staring up at the large city walls in the shadow of the clouds, Syaoran wondered how many people filled the small city. Eriol walked over with a grim look on his face and he turned to him.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Just thought I'd see how you were." Eriol replied. "You know when you're meant to go, right?"

"Yeah, I know." Syaoran muttered. He was tired of being asked this question.

Everyone started to move and Eriol looked over his shoulder briefly. "Well, I'll see you when we all get out of this." He said confidently and disappeared with the rest of the crowd. Syaoran felt a little better knowing that someone believed he'd still be alive at the end of this.

He sat down on the grass and waited. Waiting was the most boring thing he had done since his last assignment for psychology. He stared into the trees across the grassland, and for a moment he thought he saw a pair of azure blue eyes staring back at him. He blinked and they were gone, and he decided that he was just seeing things. About an hour had passed and there was still no sign that he should be going in yet. He wondered briefly for a moment what was happening, but then there was a loud bang which quickly brought him back to his senses.

 _'Screw this,'_ he thought, _'people are dying.'_

He got up and jumped the wall, looking for the largest building he could find.

..,

Sakura stared out the window at the flashes of coloured light which she assumed to be magic rebounding and hitting unintended targets. She hadn't seen the signal for which Syaoran was to head towards his intended destination, wherever that may be.

"Tea, My Lady?" Akiho asked.

"Thank you." Sakura replied softly.

Akiho smiled, "Would you like some pomegranate? I just cut it open."

"Well since you've already cut it..." Sakura smiled back.

Akiho handed her some, but Sakura didn't pay much attention to the taste of the seeds. She was too busy worrying about Syaoran.

…

Having seen the cathedral, Syaoran headed straight for it. He tried not to get caught up in the fighting or to get caught by one of the enemy-he didn't want to know how that might turn out. The city itself was quite a lovely place, with the architecture and parkland. It was just a matter of freeing the people within it.

Syaoran watched something shoot up into the sky and he realised it was the signal for him to start moving in, and he continued. He passed several houses and what looked like a market on his way, and as he reached the cathedral doors, he pushed one of them open. It was empty inside, with red carpet rolled down an isle between rows of chairs all the way up to a large statue of a woman he assumed was a goddess. Syaoran stared around-where would the twins be?

He walked in, feeling completely exposed and unprotected, and glanced around the room. The roof above him creaked and he looked up only to see a gnarly looking man dressed in black and a discoloured red sash tied around his waist, giving him the look of a pirate.

Upon seeing him Syaoran moved out of the way as he jumped down from the roof and he landed with a thud on his feet. Syaoran saw a glint of silver in the man's hands and noticed three knives in each and more in his belt.

"That's not nice." He said.

The man bared his teeth at him, showing off three gold teeth at the front.

"That's really not nice." He muttered to himself, bracing himself for a fight.

Syaoran had been trained in various areas of martial arts, but he wasn't sure he could win against an opponent who had a much different skill asset let alone was a vampire hunter. At least, he assumed this was a hunter.

The man lunged at Syaoran-he was incredibly strong and knocked him into the wooden chairs easily. Syaoran got up quickly to dodge the next attack, one of the silver blades making contact with his arm. It was agony. It felt like his skin was burning and blood ran down his arm. He dodged another attack, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to win if he didn't have any sort of weapon of his own.

He heard the door smash open and felt dread, thinking that another hunter or one of the traitors had come. Instead he saw a woman in a burgundy coat run in and engage the ugly man in battle, turning her head slightly to Syaoran. She had azure blue eyes, he noticed, and a pale face.

"They're in the back!" she shouted. "Hurry up-there's a door, over there. You'll see it-go!"

He didn't know who she was, but he was grateful for her help. He got up and ran towards the back of the cathedral-he saw the door and opened it, finding a large room inside. After shutting the door, he turned to examine the room, but didn't get far as he saw a pole swinging towards his face. He caught it and looked around to see who had tried to knock him out, only to find a short girl with an appearance of about twelve with long silvery waist length hair and silver eyes glaring up at him, with a metal pipe in her delicate hands.

"Who are you!" she demanded.

"Wait-he's not a hunter-he's a blue blood." Another voice came from the dark corner.

Another girl stepped out-she looked almost identical, except her hair was dark and her eyes nearly black except for the rim of silver around the edge. The girl with silver hair eyed him sceptically for a moment, and then threw the pipe into the wall.

"Who sent you, boy?"

Boy? What in the world...?

"Kei...?" he replied.

"I should have known!" she growled. "He never thinks!"

He could agree on that.

Both girls were wearing white dresses with lace trims, and around the silver haired girls' neck was a strange glowing silver pendant-it looked sort of like a bottle of some sort-Syaoran wasn't sure, but it was very pretty.

"Arte, we can trust Syaoran." The other girl said softly to her sister.

The silver haired girl scoffed. "Yeah, whatever...he's probably smarter than Kei too...knows he's not capable of completing such a heavy task at the moment-Kei was stupid to send him out, but we might have a chance..." she muttered half to herself and half to her sister.

Syaoran could hear something and the door opened-the woman from before stepped in and looked to Syaoran. "You don't have much time-they're coming quickly." She said.

"Well, that settles it." The silver haired girl said. Syaoran looked to her.

"What?" he asked.

She took the thing from around her neck, still hanging on the chain, and pressed it into his hands. "Take it-leave us here. The people are more important. Kei will have no chance of defeating the traitors and hunters if the people don't fight back too, but they're too scared. They need a leader-someone they can rely on to turn to in times of need-you can be that leader." She said.

"What am I supposed to do with it?" he asked.

"Wear it. The people will know you can be trusted." The other girl said. They'll recognise you with that amulet around your neck."

"How do you know this?" Syaoran asked, beginning to become unsure of this plan.

The silver haired girl looked offended. "I can see the future, skittle brain!" she snapped. "Get moving!"

"What about you-?"

"You're very kind but we'll wait." The dark-haired girl smiled, and pushed him out the door.

Syaoran had no idea what to do. They were the strangest pair of twins he had ever met, by far. The small bottle around his neck glowed and he sighed heavily-he had to get the townspeople to revolt against the hunters and traitors, but how? The silver haired twin had said that Kei didn't stand a chance against them if they didn't.

Frustrated and confused, he ran out of the cathedral once again unprotected. He found it odd, how no one attacked him, and after a while he wondered if it was because of the thing around his neck. He looked around but still had no idea how to cause an uprising.

 _'It would take careful planning!'_ He thought to himself irritably. _'I can't do it without help!'_

As he stood there helplessly, he decided to at least try and go find Eriol. Perhaps he might have some ideas.

He headed towards where most of the fighting was occurring, and spotted Kei having just slaughtered an enemy. Kei immediately turned his cold eyes on him but did nothing. Syaoran felt something slam him into the ground-he slid across the gravel and looked up, seeing that his enemy was a heavily built man and much less ugly than his last opponent. In one hand he held a gun, in the other a sharp blade.

"Ah, fuck."

Syaoran didn't like the looks of his odds at all. He gave a quick glance at Kei who he could have sworn had a slight smirk on his face, and then quickly got up to start avoiding attacks. Somehow, he managed to avoid several bullets, but the blade which was thrown like a boomerang and returned to its owner shortly after, he was not so lucky to escape as often.

He had felt it graze across his back, slicing his skin like red hot iron and he could smell his own burning flesh. It managed to hook into his thigh, deeply, and he screamed in agony. Once it returned to its owners' hands, Syaoran no longer had the use of his leg-he couldn't feel it due to the agony. He now stared death in the face, the gun pointed straight at his heart. The bullet fired but someone's sword blocked it. A large black cloak was draped over his shoulders. He looked up to see a man with copper hair and bright green eyes holding up a silver sword, but he noticed in his belt several other weapons and devices.

 _'Saved twice. Who could this be...'_ He thought irritably.

In a split second, the enemy had his head sliced from his shoulders and it rolled across the ground.

The man held his hand out to Syaoran and lifted him up, placing his arm around him for support. "You've got some task getting a riot up in the street." He said.

"All they had to do was see that the trusted child of prophecy would be attacked, and that was enough." The stranger explained as they got further away from the site.

The man jumped up onto the balcony of an empty building, "In here."

Syaoran hobbled in, his agony increasing. "Who are you?" he asked quickly as he sat down.

"We serve your father, lord Syaoran. My name is Dimitreu, my lord."

"I see. Where is he..."

"Your farther is helping out two friends. He asked for us to stay with you." He replied. Syaoran nodded.

The woman who had helped him at the cathedral earlier entered the room and placed a cold towel to his worsening wounds and Dimitreu stood guard. "You said I'd started something-how?" Syaoran asked.

"The townspeople saw the necklace, and then saw you being hurt. They now know that they must join the fight and help you. That necklace shows them who their leader is. Look and see." Inga said, drawing back the curtain.

He stepped into the balcony, to find hundreds of townspeople swarming the small city, fighting their enemies and taking back their territory.

"Well done." His father's voice sounded behind him, and he turned to see the lunar twins.

Syaoran had to sit back down again. He was dizzy and feeling sick now. It was so much to take in and he didn't understand what was going on. He felt his dad wrap his arm around him, his head resting against his chest, but everything was too fuzzy. He blacked out from pain or over exertion; his wounds were still bleeding something furious and needed serious attention.

"We need to cauterise the wounds." Syaoron murmured, "Dimetreu-"

"Here, sir." Dimetreu handed the man a knife from his belt.

Syaoron walked over to one of the burning lanterns and shoved the knife into the flame, heating it, and then walked back to his son. He pressed the hot blade to the wound and the smell of burning flesh filled their noses. He repeated the process for the wounds on Syaoran's back and his arm without word.

He stood back after a moment and sighed heavily. He was beyond furious with Kei for having sent Syaoran out without any help or the training necessary. If Sakura hadn't told Inga to let him know that Syaoran was going out in the field, then he could have lost his son.

"Sir, are you alright?" Inga asked.

"The short answer is no. Let's end this bloody fight." Syaoron growled as he stormed out of the room. Inga and Dimetreu followed him, leaving Syaoran with the twins.

...

Sakura was woken early by Akiho about the results of the fight. she felt so relieved upon hearing that they had won that she went straight to see Syaoran himself. She was still in her silk nightgown but that didn't matter with her dressing robe over the top. She entered the common room to find Syaoron speaking with Tomoyo, and he smiled at her briefly before leaving through the door. She had noticed his look of concern, letting her know that something wasn't quite right-how were Syaoran's injuries?

Sakura walked in softly, watching Tomoyo light candles in the candelabras. "Where is he...?" she whispered.

"Upstairs, resting. Be careful, he's been wounded fairly seriously." Tomoyo replied sadly.

She nodded and headed up the stairs to Syaoran's room. She opened the door and spotted a bright light illuminating the room, and she noticed it was caused by a small object on his bedside table. Syaoran was staring at it, his shirt off, and sitting up in his bed. She felt so happy seeing him alive it was overwhelming. Her eyes teared up and her chest tightened a little.

"Syaoran..."

He looked up and smiled, though it was strained. "Hey, I'm not dead."

She wrapped her arms around him, and he winced, "Ouch, Sakura that's too tight." He said.

She grinned, "I'm sorry."

She looked him over to see how bad his injuries were-she could see his arm bandaged and a wound that had been bandaged on his back. There were cuts and bruises everywhere. She noticed that what was worse was he couldn't move his leg.

"Y... your leg..." Sakura whispered.

"It will heal." He said with a lot of pain. "But I don't know how long..."

His injuries from the fight weren't fatal, but unlike Sakura, his blood didn't heal his injuries as fast as hers. He watched her as she examined the wound on his arm that would likely heal in the days to come in silence and then re bandaged it, and he remembered the fight-the violence and bloodshed between the two sides, and of course what he saw in Kei's eyes when he was so close to dying. The satisfaction and triumph he knew he had seen in those hateful cold eyes.

"What's on your mind?" Sakura asked quietly.

"Nothing." He lied.

She tied the bandage but didn't let go of his hand. "You're a terrible liar." She said. He stayed quiet. "Inga saw what Kei did. She told me how he just stood there." Sakura said quietly.

"Well, there's not much I can do about it, is there?" Syaoran laughed hollowly. "He's everyone's leader and no one is allowed to take what's his away from him."

"Kei is never allowed to rule over me and he knows it. I choose who I want to be with, and he can't force me to be with him." She said quietly, but firmly.

Syaoran looked at her, "And who is it you want to be with?" he asked.

She stayed quiet for a minute and then spoke again. "You."

He stared at her in silence for a moment, stunned by her answer. She looked away, blushing.

"Are you sure...?" he asked.

She smiled, "if I wasn't sure, I wouldn't have said anything."

"I suppose that's true enough." He smiled back.

Sakura felt relief-he was safe for now. "I'm just glad...that you're safe..." She whispered.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said.

"I know." She replied softly.

"I thought you didn't believe in prophecies?" Syaoran asked.

"I don't," Sakura said, "But I believe in you. And I trust you."

He looked into her eyes and she blushed a little, "Here, take my blood...it will heal your injuries faster."

He gently reached out and brushed her hair aside, pulling her in closer by the waist for an embrace. She tilted her neck back a little and he gently sank his fangs into her neck, drinking her sweet blood. He was less hesitant this time, maybe because he was more comfortable in being with her. He parted and caught Sakura by surprise by kissing her instead-just a light brush against the lips-but it felt like it lasted for an eternity.

…

Syaoron stared out the window at the wandering townspeople, everyone picking up wood and helping around the castle grounds of their own free will. He smiled to himself-he never would have guessed his son could have achieved such a goal.

"When will that little turd arrive!?"

He looked over to see the hot-headed twin, Artemis, beginning to become extremely frustrated with how late Kei was. Her sister, who now had her dark hair in two long plaits over her shoulders, remained quite calm despite her tapping forefinger on the table.

"Yes, I would like to know that too." Syaoron sighed.

Inga had told him all about Kei's little misbehaviour on the battlefield. He wasn't pleased in the least. Both Inga and Dimitreu stood next to him, silent, but ready to speak at any given moment. The Lunar twins were quite fond of them, as they had helped to get them out safely with Syaoron.

The door opened and Kei walked in looking rather relaxed and gave a smile. "Sorry I'm late-I had a few things in the blacksmiths to deal with." He said coolly.

Artemis gave him a look mixed with scepticism and utter revolt.

"I hope you're not planning to assassinate my son?" Syaoron murmured.

His words rippled throughout the whole room, settling like ice, and Kei seemed to be trying to control his rage.

"Of course not." He replied as calmly as possible.

"That's not how it looked on the battlefield." Artemis snapped.

Kei's eyes narrowed at the small girl. "Alright, girl, how did it look?"

"How _dare_ you be so rude!" the other girl hissed. Her name was Luna and she was quick to jump to the aid of her sister. "We may have childlike bodies, but I assure you, it is you who is the child here."

"Luna, calm down." Artemis said.

Luna calmed down and sat back down in her seat quietly.

"As for you, stupid child, why in the world would you go and send someone who has no sort of protection-no ability to yet wield magic or a weapon-onto the field? Even Syaoran had the brains to know that he couldn't fight, yet still managed to bide his time." Artemis said stonily.

"You should be thanking me. Our plan got you out safe-"

"I will certainly not thank you!" Artemis hissed. "You should have known that for your plan to succeed, you'd need to cause an uprising! But no-you're too much of a snot nosed winky dink to even realise!"

Everyone had to try and keep a straight face at the table, everyone except Kei who looked rather offended and Artemis.

"I will be thanking, however, Inga and Dimitreu for their assistance, and Lord Syaoron for his help. The people always come first, little midget."

One of the other council members snorted with laughter. Kei glared at him and he fell silent.

Artemis looked to Syaoron, "How is your son?" she asked.

"I haven't seen him yet, but Tomoyo says he's fine."

"We'd like to see him later, to thank him." Luna explained.

"I'm sure he won't mind." Syaoron replied with a smile.

Artemis stood, "Fine, we're going to go eat." She said as she and Luna headed towards the door.

Kei said nothing. He was furious with having been humiliated in front of the council, and Syaoron left the room also, followed by Inga and Dimitreu.

"Dismissed." He muttered and left.

…

Syaoran looked up as his father entered his chambers with Inga and Dimitreu behind him. Sakura had left to go and change, so Syaoran was on his own. Sora had disappeared off somewhere and had been gone for a very long time-he assumed she was in the gardens sleeping somewhere, perhaps chasing a few mice.

His father sat on the edge of the bed, worry clouding his amber eyes. "How are your injuries feeling?" he asked.

"Better than they were...the pain is far tolerable than what I think Kei will do to me when he finds out Sakura will be spending more time with me than him..." He muttered quietly to himself.

His father laughed. "I see. So, you two are together, are you?"

Syaoran cleared his throat and looked away. "Yeah. I guess. "

His dad was really smiling, "Well, I guess Kei will really have to get over his heartbreak." He laughed.

"I don't like the way he treats her." Syaoran muttered.

"You mean how he was very forceful in where she was at certain times of the day or who she was with?" Syaoron suggested.

"She got abused for it. I was there. Her arm was broken by him." Syaoran snapped.

"Calm down. We understand. The best thing for you to do now is to relax."

"I'm trying to relax but it's not working when I'm paranoid he's going to question her about it."

"Fine," his father sighed heavily, "Inga, could you please go and check up on Sakura?" Syaoron asked. Inga stood and did as she was told, leaving quietly.

Syaoran leant back into his pillows, picking up the item the lunar twins had given him and began to fiddle with it. It still gave off an intense glow around the room, even with the daylight.

Syaoron turned his attention to his son immediately and picked up the ornament, examining it, and then handed it back to him.

"What is it?" he asked

"Nothing, Syaoran. Good luck." His father smiled kindly.

"Ok..."

"The lunar twins want to visit later, by the way." He said.

"Oh-ok." Syaoran said.

"Oh yes. Dimitreu and Inga are my two guards. They've served me since I was young." He greeted.

Syaoran was surprised by the two. They had been very helpful in the fight.

"Thank you for the help. I appreciate it." Syaoran said.

Dimitreu nodded acknowledgement in Ingas absence. He didn't seem to talk much, Syaoran realised, but that was ok.

"Well Syaoran, I'll see you later. I'll let you get some rest."

His father stood from the end of the bed and turned to him to say something but stopped himself. He shook his head and smiled as he turned to leave.

"Dad-"

Syaoran's father stopped at the door and turned his head. "What is it?"

"There was a time when I was small... You told me ghosts didn't exist." Syaoran recalled the memory clearly from when he was four.

"I remember."

"Well...do they?" Syaoran asked.

His father gave a pained smiled. "You ask too many questions, sometimes kiddo."

Without fully answering his question, his father left and closed the door. Sora wondered back in, jumping in through the window and walked across the room to jump up onto his lap. He sighed and petted her as she began purring contentedly, and he wondered why his father didn't answer his question.

* * *

 **If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask :)**


	10. Clearing The Mind And Soul

**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delayed update (again, ugh). This is a reasonably short chapter, but I hope you enjoy it all the same.**

* * *

Akiho entered Sakura's chambers carrying a folded silk garment, a gift from Luna and Artemis. She knocked on the door to the en-suite and entered to find Sakura sitting in the bath, where the water smelt strongly of lavender.

"Ready to get out now?" she asked with a smile as she picked up a towel.

Sakura stood and stepped out onto the bath mat for Akiho to wrap the towel around her.

"Arte and Luna are here, aren't they?" Sakura inquired.

"Yes, My Lady." She replied.

"I haven't seen them in a while-I hope they're ok after what happened..." she murmured.

"They sent a gift-it's out on your bed."

Sakura walked out only to see Kei sitting on her bed, next to the neatly folded silk.

"I see you're taking great pride in entering my chambers without permission again." Sakura said as she walked behind her dressing screen to get dressed. Akiho picked up the garment and took it to her, and Sakura began to get dressed.

"I noticed that...he had some help during the battle." Kei said.

Sakura felt herself become angered by his undermining tone and words. "Why shouldn't Syaoran have had help?" she retorted. "He had very little chance of getting out alive on his own."

"It's just that the people helping him-I'd never seen them before yesterday." Kei said with slight curiosity. "I was surprised to find out they were his father's guards, and that you knew them."

"Is that so?" Sakura responded dryly.

"How could they have possibly known he was going to be performing such a task?" Kei wondered.

"No idea." Sakura replied dully.

"Unless someone tipped them off."

"Then, perhaps someone tipped them off." She said, becoming increasingly irritated.

He stayed silent. Sakura stepped out dressed in a black kimono with blue roses and emerald green butterflies on it, with hints of purple throughout it.

"Is there an actual reason you came to see me, or are you just here to accuse me?" Sakura asked.

"I suppose I'll leave you to it then." Kei said, and stood to leave.

When he was gone, Akiho rolled her eyes. "Honestly! What manners!" she huffed.

…

Syaoran was visited by Artemis and Luna in the afternoon. It was an odd visit as all Luna did was eye Sora, occasionally flicking her gaze to Syaoran, but not often.

"We'd like to thank you personally for your help." Artemis said.

"Err-no problem." Syaoran replied awkwardly.

"Your father informed us of your injuries. Sorry to hear."

"I'll live." He muttered.

"Indeed."

He picked up the glowing object Artemis had given him, "Here, you can have it back now."

She shook her head. "It was a gift. You'll need it again in the future."

He stared at her with confusion but didn't question her. There was a knock at the door and Sakura entered, surprised upon seeing the two twins.

"Oh, hello." She smiled.

"Hello Sakura." Artemis returned. "I'm glad to see you got our gift."

"Yes, thank you." Sakura replied as she came to sit next to Syaoran.

The two twins stood. "We best be leaving then." Luna smiled.

"Enjoy your stay at the castle." Sakura smiled.

"Thank you, yes." Artemis replied before walking out the door.

Syaoran stared at the object in his hand. What was he meant to do with it now?

Sakura smiled, "That's a precious gift." She said softly.

"I don't even know what it is..." He mumbled.

"Inside is essence of moonlight-it's extremely powerful." She replied gently. "That was something from their homeland-it was valuable to them, so for them to give it up means that they trust you."

"With what, though? She said I'd need it again in the future."

"Then trust her." Sakura replied. "Artemis and Luna won't stay long-they have to go and find somewhere their people can live now that the city has been destroyed. But the townspeople are staying behind, along with the small unwavering army who now follow you."

Syaoran stared at her. What? What did she just say? Army?

She turned her attention to checking his wounds again, pleased to find that only a small scar remained on his arm and back but were still very red. Usual wounds would have healed by now, but these wounds were made by vampire hunter weapons, and wouldn't heal as easily.

"How's your leg?" she asked quietly.

"Well, I can move it without there being much pain now, so I assume that it's fine." He replied.

"That's a relief." She smiled softly.

"I'm not entirely sure I want to go downstairs or not..." he muttered.

"Why not?" she asked.

"What prank will Eriol pull on me today?" Syaoran wondered sarcastically.

Sakura giggled.

"I'm serious-everyday it's something new." He muttered.

"He's just showing how much he cares." Sakura smiled.

"Oh-by trying to kill me? Yeah, real caring." Syaoran rolled his eyes and stood up, wincing a little due to his leg but thankfully Sakura wasn't paying attention.

He didn't bother changing and stayed in the black top and pants he was wearing, and they walked downstairs together.

In the common room, it appeared that there was quite a commotion. Tomoyo and Akiho were arguing over something; "The correct way to feed a Fury is to simply throw it!" Akiho bit back furiously.

"Gross-what are you on?" Tomoyo cried.

Eriol was sitting in the corner ignoring the argument as was Yuna, while Syaoran's father was sitting on the couch enjoying the whole situation. Inga and Dimitreu were arguing also.

"You're joking-"

"What do you mean, I'm joking? I simply said that roughly 800 years ago, women like yourself-"

"Fuck off." Inga muttered.

"But Inga-"

"I don't want to hear any of your weird crap." She muttered.

"I understand your anger, Inga, but he's telling the truth." Syaoron butted in, drinking his red wine.

"Where did that come from?" Syaoran asked Sakura.

"No idea." Sakura shrugged

Inga looked horrified and stormed out of the room. Syaoran walked over, tripping on something as he went and swore, but ignored it.

His father looked over at the two and smiled, "Hello."

"What was that all about?" Syaoran asked.

"Nothing." His father replied. "Just a little conversation about life eight hundred years ago."

"Are you really that old?" Syaoran muttered.

"Oh, I'm older than that." His father laughed.

Syaoran stared at him, wondering if he was joking. "Y-you're joking right?"

"Unfortunately, no."

Syaoran looked to Sakura. How old was she?

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"...No."

He walked away to talk to Eriol instead, and Sakura looked to Syaoron. "I don't think you should have told him the truth." She said.

"Why not?" he asked. "He would have found out eventually anyway."

"Why should he have to?" she asked.

"Because it's part of growing up. You'll learn that when you become a parent and start to teach your own child about life."

Sakura didn't ever think she'd have children. That may have been a possibility in the past but now she didn't think so. She turned her head to look to Syaoran who was chatting away with Eriol and sighed.

By late that night, Syaoran's injuries had completely healed thanks to the help of Sakura's blood. She sat with him on his bed, no one knowing because they had all gone to bed.

"You're telling me the truth when you say you can't feel any pain?" she asked.

"I'm being honest, really." He said.

After a moment of battling with herself, she nodded and released his hand from her grip.

"You should start learning how to use your magic." She said softly.

"Who's going to teach me?" he asked.

"I can only teach you the bare basics..." She said uneasily. "But I suppose I could..."

"If you're up to the challenge." He laughed.

she smiled, "We'll start tomorrow."

He looked at her with surprise. "So soon?"

"You need to learn. I will not have you out on a field of war without any sort of defence." Sakura said sternly.

"You sound like a mother." Syaoran muttered.

"Hm?" she asked, having not heard his comment.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Alright. We'll practice in the garden." She said with a smile.

"Sounds good." He agreed.

She sighed and stood, "I should head back- Akiho will be worrying by now..."

"Wait-" he stopped her, and she turned back to meet his gaze, but he couldn't say anything. There was silence and finally he cleared his throat. "Um-sleep well."

She smiled before kissing him lightly on the lips and disappeared out the door.

When Syaoran woke in the morning, he was greeted by his father who was sitting on the couch over by the window. Syaoran blinked a few times, thinking maybe he was still half asleep, but sure enough he was still there.

"Morning to you too." His father greeted.

"What are you doing here?" Syaoran grumbled.

"I came to tell you not to go to the dining hall for breakfast today. If you do, you might end up in a fight with Kei." He said.

"What...?"

"Syaoran, wake up! You have an incredible ignorance for this world, and it's time to open your eyes."

Syaoran stayed quiet.

"I'm sorry. I never meant for it to be this way." His father said softly, and then left the room.

Syaoran took his father's advice and didn't go to the dining hall that morning and are in the common room instead. Sakura wasn't pleased but she didn't deny that taking his father's advice was a good thing, either. Syaoran guessed she had to put up with some sort of rant from Kei, with how she was going on about her time in the dining hall.

"Honestly, he just doesn't back off." She muttered. "Well, he wouldn't shut up until your father stepped in."

"What did he do?" Syaoran asked.

"I'm not entirely sure what it was about, but I think he was hinting at a past argument or something... Something about 'being careful not to bring up anything best left buried'..." Sakura replied.

"Dad knows him that well?" Syaoran asked as they continued to walk down the stairs to the gardens.

"Well, I know they've run into each other continuously whenever Kei has been out scouting cities and small villages..." She replied. "I guess they've been in a fight more than once." She shrugged her shoulders. "It's stupid of him, really-Kei, I mean-he should know not to mess with someone who's about a thousand years older than he is." Sakura continued matter-of-factly.

"Why's that?" Syaoran asked casually.

Sakura rolled her eyes but stopped at the realisation. "Oh, I guess you wouldn't know, would you... Your father is one of the ten strongest living vampires alive. With his years of experience and wisdom, he's not someone you'd want to cross with in a fight." Sakura explained softly.

Syaoran was beginning to understand some of the deeper stuff here-why his father had to leave when he was sixteen, for starters. He couldn't just leave his world in chaos.

"What about the other nine?" Syaoran asked curiously as they still walked.

Sakura sighed. "Well. There are the two who accompany your father-his guards Inga and Dimitreu. They're just as terrifying as he is." She told him.

"Who else?" Syaoran asked, counting off names on his fingers.

"There's Artemis and Luna." Sakura answered him quite calmly.

He nodded to show that he had heard, and she continued. "You don't want to mess with them. They may look like children but they're only fooling you. Those bodies preserve power magnificently in those child-like bodies, but in a full-fledged battle they are vicious." Sakura murmured. "There's also Tomoyo, Akiho and Eriol."

Syaoran stared at her as she came to sit on the cool grass where they usually sat together.

"What?" she asked.

"Those three?" he asked.

"Think about it-one of the ten would never have been placed by your side if you didn't need protecting, and right now you do."

"You have two!" Syaoran cried.

"I'm one of the ten as well." She admitted to him. "My dealings are with healing and I favour the wind. I have had horrible incidents in the past which have resulted in the reasons as to why I have Akiho and Eriol here at my side." Sakura said softly.

"I see. I'm sorry." He apologised.

"It's ok." She smiled. "Shall we begin?"

Syaoran was already nervous about learning about the use of magic, but now he was even more nervous due to the conversation about the ten.

"We'll just start off with simple technique for today." Sakura said.

"All we're doing is sitting." Syaoran commented.

She giggled. "You need to be able to clear your mind and focus completely on what is at hand." She said, her legs crossed, and her hands and arms resting neatly and relaxed over them.

He tried to relax and clear her mind as she did, but it just didn't work. His mind was all over the place.

Sakura opened one of her emerald eyes to glance at him. "If your mind is straying, then you should find the source of what troubles you and confront it."

"Easy for you to say..." he muttered.

"You're forgetting who you're talking to..." hhe growled.

Syaoran immediately straightened his back in fear of Sakura doing something to him when he least expected it and continued to concentrate on clearing his mind.

Sakura sat in silence for a long time, meditating, ignoring all things around her-even Syaoran's irritation the next two hours as he still couldn't understand it-until late that evening. Sakura was as still as a rock and her posture perfect and beautiful. He stared at her, and then took to trying again. He sat on the grass and closed his eyes, blocking out all stimuli. He ensured his breathing was even and his muscles were relaxed. Sakura opened her eyes to watch what was happening; there was a gentle breeze blowing over the grass around him from where he was sitting. She was so surprised and happy she jumped up and hugged him.

It immediately stopped of course, and Syaoran was surprised by Sakura's sudden hug. "What? What is it?" he asked.

"You did it!" she smiled. "That should have taken weeks."

"Weeks?" Syaoran gaped. "And what did I just...?"

"You cleared your mind to allow for the magic." She told him.

He stared at her blankly. "Ok. Yeah." Because that made sense.

"I think we should leave it there for today..." Sakura said softly. "If anyone finds out-especially Kei-I don't know what I'd do..."

He nodded in agreement. "Good idea. I'm also exhausted."

She snorted. "You barely did anything for most of the day."

Syaoran rolled his eyes as he stood with her, and they headed back to the castle together, their hands brushing against each other in the faintest of touches.

* * *

 **What are your predictions? I am interested in hearing your thoughts ;)**


	11. Severing the Chains of Reality

**Sorry for the delay, I had to reorganise the chapter a little before posting it. Enjoy!**

* * *

The evening had approached fast and Syaoran was exhausted from his practice with Sakura-he had fallen asleep on the couch and missed dinner only to wake to his father. He was a little startled at first, but quickly regained himself as he sat up. He had spent another full day with Sakura, practicing magic and learning the basics-he was picking it up rather quickly, but his father had always told him when he was younger that he was a fast learner.

"How are you feeling now that you've slept?" his father asked him, not bothering to look up from his paper as he turned the page.

"Uhh...fine?" Syaoran shrugged.

"And how did your practice go?" his father further questioned.

"You know about that?"

"Of course, I do-I know everything."

"How?" Syaoran frowned. He certainly hadn't told him.

"Sakura told me."

That explained it. "Of course, she did."

"Are you upset?" his father asked, looking up from his page.

Syaoran shook his head. "A little relieved, actually." He stood from his seat and meandered over to the door, opening it. "I'll see you later."

After leaving the room, Syaoran wandered mindlessly through the halls until he found himself at Sakura's common room, opening the door and entering. Closing the door softly, he heard crying and no one else was around, so he assumed it was Sakura. Worried, he walked up the staircase and knocked on the door to Sakura's chambers.

"Sakura, are you ok?" he called out.

"Syaoran...?" her muffled voice came, and he opened the door to see Sakura on the floor with her head buried in her arms on her bed. He closed the door quietly and walked over. Sakura didn't look up as he awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder, so he sat beside her.

"What's wrong...?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head.

"Was it something Kei did...?" Syaoran asked, starting to feel even more anxious.

She shook her head again. He stayed quiet, unsure as to what to do or say. She stopped crying after a while and wiped her tears away, standing to sit on the bed. He followed, sitting next to her.

"Sorry..." she murmured. "I haven't cried like that for a while."

"It's fine." He replied, "Don't apologise. If you need to cry, then cry. It will only cause you more problems if you bottle it up."

Sakura smiled and stood, "I'm going to go and have a bath." She said softly. "What will you do?"

"I can wait, if you want?"

She smiled and kissed him. "Ok," she said, "or you could join me."

"Is that really ok?" he asked, feeling unsure.

"It's no one's business." She said, pulling him up by his hands and over to the bathroom. She closed the door and locked it, making sure no one could enter.

Sakura immediately began to undress, and he looked away. "What?" she asked, confused.

"You're um-naked."

"So?"

"You're not embarrassed." He stated.

"No?" she tilted her head. "I wasn't getting in dressed."

"I know..."

"I don't care if you see me." Sakura said softly.

He turned his head, shy at first, and took in her appearance. She was beautiful, with her soft pale skin and sinuous curves. He had always believed Sakura to be beautiful but looking at her in front of him unobscured by clothing, she was like one of the Greek goddesses. She didn't move to cover her breasts as he took in the site before him, but instead she reached out, hooking her fingers beneath his shirt and lifted it over his head.

"Sakura..."

"I'm going to turn the water on." She said, turning to the bath and turning the faucets.

Syaoran felt nervous undressing. He was worried about what she'd think about him. He sighed heavily, about to undo his belt but stopped. Something didn't feel right.

…

The halls were quietly lit as Syaoron walked down them in silence. He stopped, sensing something was wrong, and listened. He could hear thrashing in the room up ahead and quickly headed to the source of the noise-he slammed open the door and looked around for the source, and noticed the noise coming from a closet. Syaoron opened it to find Sakura, her wrists and ankles bound, and she had been stripped of her clothing. If Sakura was here, then who was with Syaoran?

He quickly untied her and removed the cloth from her mouth, shrugging out of his coat and placing it around her shoulders.

"What happened?" he asked quickly.

"There's an imposter in the castle-Syaoran's in danger!" she cried.

He groaned. Ah, fuck.

…

Syaoran looked at the woman standing before him.

"You're not Sakura." He frowned. "Where is she?"

She smiled. "It's too late..."

She lunged at him and his back slammed against the wall, his vision spinning. He kicked her away and pulled on his shirt-the imposter glared at him.

"Where is Sakura?" Syaoran repeated.

"I told you-it's too late."

Syaoran grit his teeth, getting ready to attack. Then, the door slammed open to reveal Syaoran's father and Sakura who was holding his coat tight around her figure. He sighed with relief. Sakura glared at the imposter who mirrored her appearance.

"I'll take care of her." Sakura growled, "You two should leave."

"But-"

"We'll wait for you downstairs. Stay safe." Syaoron answered as he pulled Syaoran out of the room.

Syaoran looked at his father with confusion as they headed downstairs, but the man did not grace him with an answer. Several loud thuds sounded upstairs, coming to an abrupt stop. Several moments later, Sakura came down the stairs wearing her pink dressing gown, dragging the imposter behind her, tied up exactly the same way she had been in the closet.

"She'll be good for questioning." Sakura said as she tossed the imposter at their feet.

Syaoron picked them up, "I'll deal with her while you two have a little chat."

Sakura nodded, glaring at the woman until finally the door closed. Syaoran looked at Sakura, but he could not form the words to convey his worry to her. Instead, she took his hand and led him back up the stairs to her room.

"I'm so relieved you're alright." She whispered to Syaoran as they came to sit on the bed.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Are you ok?" Syaoran apologised.

Sakura smiled, "I'm fine. But I'm going to have a bath-being stuffed in a closet it really unsettling." She said. Syaoran stayed silent for a moment.

"I'll be out in a few minutes, ok?"

He nodded. "Ok. I'll wait out here."

Sakura disappeared off to the bathroom to have her bath while he sat and waited quietly. He was still trying to get over the shock of nearly being assassinated. He assumed that he should try and get used to it since he was a blue blood, and as irritating and frustrating as it was, he couldn't do much about it until the war was over-if it ever did end.

But what was more unsettling was that somehow, the assassin had made their way into the castle that was protected with all forms of enchantments. By rights, it should have been impossible for them to make it inside the castle. Unless…

He was so lost in thought that he didn't realise Sakura had wandered out of the bathroom after having finished her bath.

"Syaoran?"

He looked up quickly, startled by her sudden appearance and sighed. "Sorry."

"Still shocked...?" she murmured sympathetically.

"Yeah, a bit."

"I suppose that's normal. I was shocked when someone first tried to make an attempt on my life." She said.

"How did you deal with it?" he asked.

"My friends helped me-they let me talk to them when I needed someone to talk to, and eventually I started to realise that I wasn't alone, that there were things I could do to help myself." Sakura explained. "Your dad was one of the people I used to talk to."

"Really?" he asked with surprise.

"Yes-he used to be friends with my father, so I've known him since I was a little girl."

Syaoran looked to his feet and sighed.

"You know you can talk to him, right? About things that bother you."

"I guess it's just hard to take him seriously at times. I spent eight years believing that he was dead, and while to you it might only seem like a few minutes, to me that was a really long time." He murmured. "I don't know how to react to that, let alone what to feel."

"Perhaps maybe that's why you should talk to him. It's no good bottling it up, but I can understand it being hard to address." Sakura spoke gently.

Syaoran stayed silent for a few minutes and then sighed again. "I don't know. I need time to think about it."

She sat back down beside him once she was dressed in her sleepwear and sighed heavily. "I was engaged a long time ago to a man of another blue blood clan." She began. "I was happy, but I couldn't see the warning signs, unlike Kei."

Syaoran cringed at Kei's name.

"Kei was still calm back then," Sakura smiled sadly after seeing his face. "He tried to desperately warn me about my fiancés plans for me. But I refused to even listen. I loved my fiancé." Sakura said softly.

"What...did he do...?" Syaoran asked hesitantly.

Sakura sighed. "My fiancé had planned to kill me on our wedding night. I overheard him talking about it with one of his friends, joking about how my corpse should be displayed after he'd had his fun." She said bitterly. "I couldn't believe it-I _refused_ to believe it."

"What did you do?" he asked softly.

"I left it..." She whispered. "I couldn't face it. The night of the wedding came around... Before the ceremony, I confronted him. I demanded to know what he was planning. He lost his temper with me..." Sakura looked away and swallowed hard. "In the end, I had to kill him."

Syaoran leant into her and held her, taking her by surprise. She smiled, though sad, and relaxed against him.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked.

"Ok." He murmured.

She leant up and kissed him softly on the lips, smiling as she parted. "Thank you for listening."

"I love you," he murmured.

She smiled even more, her gentle porcelain doll-like face glowing.

…

In the morning, Akiho busied herself around the common room, cleaning and dusting without a care in the world until Kei burst through.

"Where is she?" he demanded.

"Lady Sakura is still sleeping-now if you'd be so kind as to wait until she wakes..." Akiho said, trying to usher him out the door.

"No-this is an urgent matter! I must see her immediately." Kei ordered.

"Sorry, but Lady Sakura is very tired. Please leave her be." Akiho replied, her voice now cold.

Kei walked around her and Eriol stepped in front of him, "I think it wise if you leave her to rest." Eriol smiled.

"Get out of my way." Kei snarled.

"Kei, I thought you had more manners than to go waking a young lady up." Syaoron's calm voice came from the top of the stairs. Eriol turned his head to see him standing on the top step barring the way, making him wonder how he got there without anyone noticing.

"This is a matter of urgency she must hear." Kei insisted.

"Then by all means-speak." Syaoron smiled.

"It's for her ears!"

"Her guards are capable of telling her when she wakes. Now, stop being a shit and let them know the message."

"Yes, do tell." Akiho muttered.

Kei sighed heavily. The door at the top of the stair case opened and Sakura stepped out with Syaoran behind her.

"What's going on...? It's early..." she mumbled tiredly.

Syaoron snorted into a fit of laughter and Kei stared unblinking at the couple with rage.

"So," he said, "You've started sleeping together."

"It's none of your business if we are anyway." Sakura retorted.

"Are you going to kill him too when you're done?"

Syaoron was faster than any of them. His hands were at Kei's throat before even Akiho's.

"You've got some nerve. I could snap your neck right now." Syaoron's amber eyes glowed with fury.

"Then why don't you?" Kei spat.

"Because there's no point. You have lessons to learn-the hard way. And you should start by respecting Lady Sakura, and her traumas." He hissed. "Not becoming one!"

He released Kei and left, heading off to find Dimitreu and Inga. Kei left in a rage, forgetting what to tell Sakura, and Syaoran squeezed Sakura's hand softly. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes-she felt truly betrayed by Kei after what he had said-she had honestly believed him to still be at least a little compassionate towards her, that their friendship from so many years ago still meant something.

But no. She was just an object now.

She turned with Syaoran and headed back into her room, shutting her door quietly. Neither Akiho or Eriol disturbed them.

…

As soon as Syaoran returned to his common room later that day, he was greeted urgently by Tomoyo and Yuna, both looking rather worried.

He frowned in confusion, "What is it?"

"There's a meeting in regard to our next move." Yuna answered, "You're required to attend."

Syaoran rolled his eyes, "Oh wonderful."

He turned and left the room with his two retainers following behind, making his way down to the council hall. When he entered, he found his father staring at Kei with anger and utter disgust. Syaoran took his seat, and Sakura entered shortly after, seating herself beside him. As usual, Kei threw a look of utter hatred in Syaoran's direction.

Syaoran glanced at Sakura who was staring back at Kei with a cold, merciless glare. After what he had said to her, she was not ever going to forgive him again. He could beg and plead, but she wouldn't let herself fall to that weakness again.

"With our mission here having been completed, we need to move on. In the country towards the north, there's a town-"

Syaoron stepped forward and interrupted. "That territory is far too dangerous at the current moment. I suggest we go somewhere quieter so as to not draw attention to ourselves. You heard from our prisoner yourself that it would be suicide to even go near that town!"

The other members murmured agreement while Kei glared at him, angry that he'd been interrupted.

"After everything that's taken place here, the hunters and traitors will surely be preparing a large-scale attack. They expect us to go to the next largest city. They won't expect us to take out the smaller towns first." Eriol added, "I agree with Lord Syaoron-we shouldn't rush in blindly."

Kei was silent as he assessed the situation. It seemed no one agreed with his next plan of attack, and trusted Syaoron's judgement a lot more. After all, he was wiser and had a lot more experienced with life and war.

"Very well. Smaller cities it is. Where shall we start?" he growled.

Syaoron continued, "We should strike where they will least expect it. I suggest heading to Illyasviel."

"Illyasviel?" Syaoran frowned, not knowing where that was.

"Yes. They'll expect us to either hit the next biggest city, or to find the smaller cities of this small country." His father elaborated.

Kei nodded.

"I don't recommend sending my son back out onto the battlefield, either." He added stonily.

"Oh, don't worry about that. I have another use for him." Kei shrugged.

Sakura stiffened and took Syaoran's hand into her own, worried. Syaoron stared at Kei with an icy look, and Kei smiled triumphantly.

...

Sakura stormed around the room, fuming. She was in her own room, alone, feeling completely and utterly pissed off. Syaoran had been ordered to head to the place ahead of them to scout out the area. Upon hearing the plan, Syaoron had been just as outraged as Sakura.

 _'He can't go alone,'_ she thought to herself, _'He'll be murdered. Kei just wants to assassinate him.'_

She had to tell Syaoron to send Inga and Dimitreu with him at least. Or Tomoyo and Yuna! She turned on her heel and headed for the door, reaching out to open it. She was forced to stop when a hand held it firmly shut from behind her. Sakura span around to see Kei and she felt rage.

"How _dare_ you come into my room!" she shouted.

He covered her mouth and pulled her away from the door, locking it, and dragged her to the bed. She bit his hand hard and in response, he slapped her so hard she saw black in her vision.

"Shut up you ungrateful little bitch." He hissed, "I save your life, and you betray me by sleeping with him?"

She glared at him with pure hatred. "I never belonged to you, Kei! I choose to be with whomever I want. It's not your decision." She snarled.

He grabbed her throat and Sakura felt panic when she felt something sharp. Immediately, she found herself unable to fight back, her limbs slack and useless.

"What have you done?" she growled.

He pushed her limp form onto the bed and tore open the front of her dress.

"You can't fight back." He smirked as he leant into her.

She felt sick when his hot breath brushed against her skin. His lips traced paths down her neck and his tongue snaked out at her collar bone.

"Stop it." She hissed. "Kei, stop it right now!"

Irritated by her shouting, he gagged her before continuing his slow torturous assault on her body. He fondled her breasts roughly with one hand and used his other to slowly descend to her lower region, his fingers dipping into her underwear.

Suddenly, his head was wrenched back at an unusual angle and his body sent flying across the room. A blur of blonde crashed into him, pinning him down on the floor. Akiho was FURIOUS. She stomped on several of his joints, shattering them so he couldn't move, and he howled in agony. Syaoran rushed in and saw where Sakura lay on the bed, vulnerable.

"Sakura!" Syaoran shouted, rushing to her side.

"You take care of Lady Sakura. I'll deal with this sick son of a bitch." Akiho snarled.

Syaoran nodded, pulling the gag away from Sakura's mouth before lifting her limp form in his arms.

"He drugged me. I can't move." She whispered.

He looked her over for any injuries and then looked around. She needed to be covered.

"Let me get you a blanket or something..."

"Would you mind helping me change out of this? I don't feel very comfortable..." Sakura asked.

"Of course." He gently laid her back down and stood to find her a pair of pyjamas. He found a cotton night dress and hurried back over to her, helping her out of the tattered dress and into her night dress.

"Thank you, Syaoran." She whispered.

Syaoran smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "What can I do to help? Is there anything you need?"

Footsteps sounded and Syaoran looked over to see his father looking concerned. He walked over and knelt beside Sakura's bed, placing a gentle hand against her forehead. She didn't smile as she made eye contact with the older man. Instead she looked quite sad.

"Let me undo the effects of the drug for you." He murmured.

Syaoran sensed the magic his father was using as it enveloped Sakura, and after a moment, it dissipated.

"Thank you." She whispered, "But you don't have to treat me as your own daughter."

He smiled. "Nonsense. You and Syaoran love each other, so of course I'll treat you as if you were my own."

Syaoran's eyes widened in surprise.

Then, Syaoron stood. "I have a petulant child to deal with. Pardon me." He murmured as he left the room.

Syaoran looked back to Sakura, who moved to sit up. He helped her gently, and she turned to hug him. He held her as she started trembling, but she didn't cry.

After a while, she parted from him. She sighed softly, "I... hate to say this, but I'm used to that sort of assault." She confessed.

He stared at her with shock. "What? From Kei?"

She shook her head. "In general. I haven't been raped, but many times I have been assaulted in the past. This was before I was engaged."

Syaoran looked at her with worry. "Sakura..."

She smiled. "Please don't treat me any differently than you have." Sakura begged. "I just…I wanted to tell you."

Syaoran looked slightly pained. Even in the human world, women were commonly assaulted multiple times in their lives. It was awful and he often felt disgusted with humanity. Especially when women reached out for help, only to have their plea shoved back into their face as they were told they should have done more to protect themselves. And now he was seeing it in the Night World, too.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." He started, "That's not something that is easy to talk about."

She grinned and pushed him down into the sheets, straddling his waist and sliding her hands beneath his shirt.

"Wait-what are you-?"

She cut him off with a soft kiss. "Have you really never had a girlfriend?" she asked with amusement. "Because they you treat me makes me think you've had a few."

Syaoran wasn't sure how that logic worked when he was just trying to be a decent human being. Well… A decent person.

"I...did date one girl, but that was it." Syaoran confessed.

"Oh really? I'd like to hear the tale." Came his father's voice.

Syaoran jumped with surprise and Sakura snorted into a fit of laughter as she climbed off.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" he spluttered.

"Do tell the tale." Sakura added mischievously.

He frowned. "There's nothing really to tell. We dated for about three months and then broke up."

Sakura looked at him curiously. "Why?"

"She didn't even like me, for starters. She just did it as part of a dare." Syaoran shrugged.

"What!?" Sakura cried, outraged.

"I'm not terribly upset about it. It was in high school."

"What year?" Syaoron asked.

"A few weeks after you left."

Syaoron couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Syaoran had been in a vulnerable state because of his leaving, but he felt angered that a girl would take advantage of his grief.

Sakura wore a frustrated expression. "What a bitch." She snapped.

Syaoran shrugged. "What's done is done."

They all fell silent, until finally Syaoron spoke again. "I'll see you later, Syaoran. Sakura, get some rest."

She smiled, "Thank you, my lord."

Syaoran watched Sakura with gentle concern, confused as to how she could smile in such a carefree manner after what Kei had just done with her. From what he understood about psychology, people sometimes shielded themselves from pain by putting themselves at a distance. And somehow, that made him feel very sad.

* * *

 **I wanna kill Kei off, you have no idea, but i won't. Lmao. Thank you all for your reviews, favourites and follows! I know Sakura only spoke about nine of the powerful vampires, that was done on purpose, and will later be revealed who it is :)**

 **Review?**


	12. Distorted Feelings

**Hi there! Thank you for your reviews, favourites and follows. At the end of the chapter, I am addressing some comments, so please have a read to help give you a better understanding of why I have written some things into the story :)**

* * *

Sakura finished up her bath and headed out to Syaoran's bedroom where he was already lying in bed. It was late and he needed to leave early in the morning; his father had given him a very detailed explanation of what needed to be done, since Kei refused to give it to him himself. But Syaoran's mind was not on what was to come-he was thinking about Sakura. To be exact, he was thinking about the other night when Kei had assaulted her-he knew Sakura had her way of dealing with it, and that way was to completely pretend it never happened. She diverted her mind away from it in whatever manner she felt, including teasing him in more ways than one.

But the other thing that bothered him was the way everyone behaved about it. How they just treated him as a naughty child and not as an adult that should be punished. It made him angry, when he thought about it. Back in the human realm, men in power often got away with such acts, claiming it would hurt their reputation or in some cases, their career. If it was going to ruin their careers or reputations, then they shouldn't have done it in the first place. But they chose to act, and they should face the god damn consequences for ruining someone else's life.

He was distracted as she slid into the bed and snuggled close to him.

"Eriol didn't prank you today. That's unusual." She commented.

"Thank god for that." He muttered, making her laugh.

She smiled up at him, though her eyes were full or worry. "Syaoran...take my blood."

He stared into her emerald eyes for a long moment before cupping her cheek and leant in, his lips brushing her skin lightly. He didn't need to think about it anymore. She threaded her fingers through his hair as he bit her neck, her breath brushing his skin as she moaned quietly. He parted and kissed her softly before allowing her to do the same. She licked his neck when she was done, causing him to shiver though not in an unpleasant way.

"Sakura...when I get back, not now." He whispered.

She looked almost disappointed, but she nodded. "Ok."

Syaoran wasn't comfortable with taking their relationship that far just yet. He loved her dearly, but he didn't know anything about how to please her in such a way. It made him a little anxious. She rolled on top of him and looked into his eyes. He could tell that she knew.

"It makes you anxious, right? Not knowing..."

He looked away awkwardly. "S-sort of..."

"Don't worry," she smiled mischievously.

He raised a brow. "When you make that face, it's a little hard not to."

"When you get back, then." She whispered softly and kissed him gently.

He turned the lamp off and then pulled her close before closing his eyes, breathing in her scent and relaxing against her.

…

In the morning, Syaoran was met by his father as he approached the gates. Sakura, who had come with Syaoran to see him off, smiled kindly at the man.

"Good morning." She greeted.

"Good morning, Lady Sakura. Sleep well?" Syaoron replied with a smile.

"I slept fine. Not too sure about Syaoran though." She turned her head to Syaoran who rolled his eyes.

Syaoron watched his son for a moment feeling only concern for his wellbeing. After all, he was about to head out on a dangerous mission.

"Syaoran. Trust your judgement and what _you_ believe to be right." He said.

Syaoran gave him an odd look, but then nodded. "Alright."

Tomoyo and Yuna appeared, both ready to leave.

"Good luck out there." Syaoron added.

"Thanks."

Sakura squeezed Syaoran's hand gently. "Be careful out there. I'm sure Kei will try and set some kind of trap for you."

Syaoran nodded and Tomoyo smiled, "Kei won't be able to get to Syaoran so easily. Not with us around."

Sakura smiled, "Thank you."

"See you when I get back." Syaoran smiled.

Sakura made her way back to her common room after watching Syaoran leave. She stepped inside and felt rage upon seeing Kei there, sitting on the couch like he'd done nothing wrong. Akiho and Eriol immediately stepped in front of Sakura protectively.

"It's ok, you two." Sakura murmured.

The two looked at her with worry as she passed them and sat down on the couch across from Kei.

"What do you want, Kei?" she asked coldly.

Kei watched her for a moment.

"You better answer her." Syaoron spoke from the corner of the room. Sakura looked up and made eye contact with the older man, who nodded to her.

Kei sighed. "And here I was hoping to have a conversation with you in private."

Sakura laughed coldly. "After you tried to rape me? I don't think so."

Kei frowned. "I wanted to talk to you about that. And apologise."

She felt enraged. "How _dare_ you come to me wanting to merely _apologise_!" she shouted, "You tried to violate me because you were jealous, without a care for my feelings! You're just like Kai-an abuser!"

His head snapped up at the mention of her ex fiancé's name. "Don't you dare compare me to that piece of shit!"

"It's too late, Kei. You became possessive of me after that, you abused me when I didn't do things your way. You demeaned me and tried to rape me! Your behaviour is exactly like his was!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. "You've destroyed my body enough!"

Syaoron sighed softly and walked over to Sakura, who looked to him tiredly. "Come with me."

He ignored Kei's look of contempt as he placed a gentle hand on Sakura's back and led her towards the door.

Then he turned and gave Kei a menacing glare. "Stay out of Lady Sakura's sight." Then, they left the common room.

They seated themselves in the library where Sakura finally let her guard down. She looked exhausted and utterly helpless.

"You've been trying too hard to keep yourself from breaking down. It's ok to cry." He spoke softly.

Her frame trembled, and then tears made tracks down her cheeks as she sobbed. She felt so betrayed by her childhood friend, who had hurt her in so many ways-so many that she could no longer count. But the worst part was that he had turned into the very person she despised.

Syaoron stayed with her, watching her with gentle concern. When she finally calmed, he smiled softly.

"Feel any better?"

She sighed heavily. "I feel exhausted, to be honest."

He smiled knowingly. "Rena was similar to you. She never let herself break down until someone allowed her the safety of doing so."

"You must miss your wife very much." Sakura said quietly.

"I do...but we made our decision together. Unfortunately, Syaoran ended up being dragged into the Night World anyway." Syaoron murmured. "I'm sure that if she were still alive, she would be doing everything in her power to ensure his absolute safety."

Sakura looked at him curiously. "You seem to be doing the same, but in your own way."

He laughed a little, "I'm trying, but it's a very difficult task."

"Were you always watching over him even after you left him when he was sixteen?" Sakura asked.

"I never left him unprotected. Inga was always with him." He murmured. "She would report back to me often."

She raised her brow. "Inga? But I thought she was always with you and Dimitreu."

He smiled, amused. "So not even you noticed, hm?"

Sakura looked at him with confusion. "What? Notice what?"

"Inga has a familiar she can call on for help. I believe that cat he carries around with him everywhere is in the bottom of his bag." Syaoron explained.

Sakura stared at him with complete and utter surprise for a long moment. Then, she couldn't help the giggles.

"Oh," she giggled, "I'm sure that will shock him when he finds out."

"Yes, I'm sure it will, if he does." Syaoron agreed with a laugh.

Sakura managed to settle herself down but couldn't stop the smile spreading on her face.

"Sakura, what do you see in my son?" he asked softly.

Sakura met his gaze, and her smile became gentle. "He's a kind hearted and gentle person. It's always been easy for me to relax around him, even from the beginning." She spoke softly, "I've never felt uncomfortable around him."

"He always has been the caring type." Syaoron murmured.

"I was surprised when he didn't try to kill Kei after what he did to me." Sakura confessed.

Syaoron nodded. "I suspect that he knew that would just make things worse for you if he let his anger take control of him. He knew you needed him in that moment." He said softly. "He can be an idiot at times, but he's perceptive."

Sakura smiled at the thought of Syaoran, and she couldn't help but agree. "He is."

"If I could have my way, Kei would not have gotten off so lightly." Syaoron added, "Are you absolutely sure-"

"You and I both know he's needed to help aid in this war. Our numbers are low and there are few blue bloods left." Sakura replied firmly, as if to steel her resolve. "He is needed to restore our numbers."

Recognising she didn't want to say anything more on the sensitive subject, he stayed silent.

...

Syaoran stared at the small black ball of fluff sleeping in the bottom of his bag, wondering how on earth Sora got in there in the first place.

"Oh my, we have a cat with us." Tomoyo said with surprise. "She really won't separate from you, will she?"

Syaoran frowned. "She's a fussy little thing." He said as she lifted her out, waking her up.

Sora meowed loudly before he set her on the ground, where she sat down and proceeded to clean herself.

"It shouldn't take us long to get to village." Yuna said.

"I'm hoping to get there by the day after tomorrow." Syaoran said, "Hopefully we won't have too many interruptions."

He said the last two words just as Tomoyo deflected a silver arrow with her sword. He sighed. "Guess I spoke too soon."

"Tomoyo, stay with him. I'll take care of this." Yuna spoke.

She sighed. "Very well..."

Yuna dashed forwards and Syaoran watched as he moved swiftly. One by one, assassins dropped to the ground, no longer moving. Sora climbed up Syaoran's leg and shirt until she was hanging over his shoulder as per usual.

"Well I guess that's taken care of." Tomoyo shrugged. "Now...time to have dinner."

The next day was pretty much the same. Syaoran was noticing the presence of assassins more often, though he wasn't sure if they were sent by Kei or by the hunters. They made it to the outskirts of the village without much hassle, except for one thing. Syaoran had copped a silver arrow to the shoulder, rendering his arm completely useless.

"I'm sorry. If I had noticed it sooner, you wouldn't be injured." Tomoyo apologised.

Syaoran shook his head, "I was just too slow."

"What's done is done. Let's get the wound cleaned and figure out a plan." Yuna said.

Tomoyo nodded and moved to attend to the wound in Syaoran's shoulder. He was sure it would heal within a week thanks to Sakura's blood, but they didn't have much time. He would have to make do.

...

Sakura watched as Kei failed to order the small army who were loyal to Syaoran around. He was becoming angrier and angrier with each passing moment, and she couldn't help but feel amused and a certain sense of satisfaction knowing he had no control over them. He stormed past her, infuriated by their insubordination.

"You can't control them, you know. They're not loyal to you." Sakura said as he passed her.

"What did you say?" he hissed.

She turned and met his gaze. "You heard me." She spoke. "They're loyal to Syaoran, and Syaoran alone."

His features twisted in anger, but he said nothing. Instead, he turned and stormed off.

She sighed softly and walked over to the men Kei had just been speaking to and she smiled. "You were alerted that Syaoran was heading out on a mission, weren't you?" she asked.

One of the men nodded. He was tall with broad shoulders and a muscular frame, his jaw square and eyes dark. "His father told us. He also said we could trust you, my lady."

"Thank you. There was something I wanted to ask you." Sakura replied.

"What is it?"

"I'm worried for Syaoran's safety. I'm sure Kei has something planned for him, should his ploy to have Syaoran killed while he's on his mission fails." She started. "I want to ask you to come with us to the village-to protect Syaoran should he need it."

They eyed her curiously. "Syaoron did warn us that Kei was up to something."

One of the other men nodded. "We should trust her word."

"Thank you," Sakura murmured.

…

Syaoran was seated in the village pub, drinking a glass of Riesling. He was there to ascertain who was behind the control of the village, as he had discovered that the leader of the group of hunters in the village often came to the pub for a drink in the late hours of night.

Yuna was at the very back corner of the pub hidden in the darkness, while Tomoyo was sitting at one of the tables reading the newspaper.

"Beer, thanks." A rough voice sounded beside him. Syaoran looked over to see a man in his early thirties seating himself beside Syaoran.

The bar tender nodded. "Coming right up."

Syaoran returned his focus to his drink. He knew this was the person he was looking for.

"You're new, I don't think I've ever seen you before." The man beside him spoke.

Syaoran looked up with surprise. "What? Oh-I'm just passing through." Syaoran replied.

"Oh really? Where did you come from?"

Syaoran took a sip of wine before answering. "Just outside of Roma." He replied.

The man smirked. "Vampires raided a city in that area the other week." He murmured, "Did you hear anything about it?"

Syaoran shrugged, "I've been travelling for a while, so no."

The man looked thoughtful, "Ah, I see..."

Syaoran gave a sigh and tapped his glass.

"What's on your mind? Missing your spouse?"

Syaoran sensed something was off. Spouse? Who used that in regular conversation? He went along with it anyway.

"My girlfriend is waiting for me back home. I want to get back to her soon." Syaoran said softly.

The man smiled, "I've got a wife and two kids back home. I know how it feels to be separated from your loved ones. So, is she pretty?"

"She is in my eyes."

The man laughed and then turned to him, "So, is she a blue blood?"

Syaoran froze. Shit. He knew.

"Don't try to get out of here. You're surrounded by hunters." He said with a sigh.

"What do you want?" Syaoran asked.

"Your head would be nice. I'll save that for later though. For now, you can be my bait." The man smiled.

Two men walked up behind Syaoran and grabbed him. His arm was useless, but there was something in their gloves that immobilised the rest of his body. He guessed they may have had silver thread in them.

"Take him away."

They forced Syaoran to his feet and pulled him out of the pub. He struggled, though weakly.

"Get away!" Syaoran shouted, making brief eye contact with Yuna, and he hoped he understood his message was meant for him and not the men apprehending him.

A blindfold was placed around his eyes and he was shoved forward, hard, causing him to stumble.

"What kind of vampire is this? He's ridiculously weak!" one of the men laughed.

Syaoran couldn't help but agree. He barely knew anything about how to use his magic or how to fight against hunter weapons. He hated how weak he was. He decided that once he got back to the castle, he'd need to be more serious with his training, and start learning how to fight. He was a blue blood and had a duty to protect his people. As his father had said a while back, it was time for him to wake up and accept reality. No more running. No more hiding.

They walked for what felt like hours but was probably only half an hour at most. He was shoved into a room and felt cold stone beneath him, and then he heard a door bang shut. Using his good hand, he ripped the blindfold off and stared around him. He was locked in a dark cell that smelt of mould and shit. Examining the door, Syaoran had a good guess that it was made out of silver, meaning that the very purpose of these cells was to detain vampires.

With a heavy sigh, he sat himself against the wall, praying that Yuna and Tomoyo would manage to get a message to the castle.

…

Kei stared at Sakura suspiciously as they travelled. He still didn't know how she had managed to get the army who were only loyal to Syaoran to follow them to the village they were about to raid. Shrugging it off, he decided it didn't matter as long as they achieved their end goal.

"We're nearly there. We'll stop here and our forces will go to the village." Kei spoke after they came to a stop.

"Very well." Sakura murmured.

The castle rose from the ground and Sakura clenched her fists, worried for Syaoran's safety. She wanted him home and safe, and she would definitely see to it that it happened.

* * *

 **To address some of the questions, concerns and comments: I know the topic of sexual assault of any kind is really sensitive, and that's part of the reason why I often end up writing about it in some form. I also feel it is important to understand that everyone deals with it differently. So it would make sense to think that after a person has gone through something like that, they wouldn't want to engage in that act in any way, shape, or form, let alone initiate it. However, I also want to make it clear that because one person would not want to do that, it doesn't mean another person who has experienced a similar attack would be the same. In Sakura's case, she more or less pretends it hasn't happened. It still hurts her, it still causes problems for her, and it still effects her greatly. I guess what i'm trying to say is that everyone suffers and grieves differently. It's not as simple as black or white. It's not straight forward.**

 **I know it's also infuriating when a sexual abuser just gets away with what they've done except for a bit of a slap on the hand. I really wanted to highlight that aspect of the culture we've been forced to live in-it's not right, they shouldn't be getting away with it without any consequences (or the consequences are really minor, like community service). It's even more infuriating when the abuser is a person in power and it's been swept under the rug like nothing happened.**

 **Anyway, sorry for the long wall of text. I hope that helped clear some questions up :) If you have any questions, please feel free to message me or drop a comment. I'm more than happy to address them :D**


	13. Traitor

**Hello again everyone! It was really lovely to see such a positive response in regard to my last authors note about sexual assault :) I agree with all of the opinions that have been presented to me, as well. On a lighter note, I hope you all enjoy what I have in store for the story :P**

* * *

Inga burst through the doors of the library where Syaoron was sitting, reading an old book. He looked up and frowned.

"Inga-what's happened?" he asked quickly.

"Syaoran's been captured by the hunters." She delivered, breathless. His face turned pale.

How could they possibly know who Syaoran was? Was it that news of who Syaoran was had spread so quickly throughout the Night World? No-he never heard any whispers of something like that when he travelled from place to place. But it was still possible, perhaps. Except that no one else except for those present at the meeting knew of Syaoran's task, which meant that…

Someone had betrayed them.

"My lord, I'm sorry-"

"It's not your fault. I think I know what's happened." Syaoron spoke as he stormed towards the doors and straight down the hall. The forces had already left, so he would go on his own to find his son and stop him from being murdered. He had returned from his work in the Night World to ensure his son's safety, and he was failing.

And that angered him.

He did not answer anyone who called out to him, asking where he was going as he wasn't following the plan Kei had laid out. He didn't care. What he did care about, was getting his son back safely.

It didn't take long for him to meet up with Yuna and Tomoyo in one of the many deserted alleyways of the small city. They both looked at him with expressions of guilt, knowing that they had failed not only Syaoran, but him, too.

"Where is he?" Syaoron asked. There was no point in getting angry with them now. There were more urgent matters that needed to be addressed, and time was precious.

Yuna looked slightly unsettled, which was an alarm bell. "They've taken him to the centre square."

Syaoron frowned. "What are they planning to do with him?"

"We suspect they'll torture him..." Tomoyo replied. "And then kill him."

Syaoron turned, "Let's go."

"What? But this place is crawling with hunters!" Tomoyo cried.

"Not to worry. Inga's bringing back up." He murmured.

Yuna and Tomoyo looked to each other with confusion before following after Syaoron, who was marching straight towards the centre square. They were unbothered on their way, which was strange, and they arrived at the centre square unharmed. Syaoron's eyes landed on his son's bleeding body being held by the hunter he assumed controlled the area.

The man raised his brow. "This is interesting. Are you his father? You really do look alike."

"I assume you took him prisoner and intended to use him as bait?" Syaoron asked calmly, despite the rage he felt inside.

The hunter smiled, "Yes, and it appears to have worked. Do you really think the three of you can take on fifty hunters?"

As he said that, all the hunters hiding in the dark stepped forward.

"You seem to have miscounted." Syaoron replied as Inga ran up beside him. He could sense the presences of those in the small army who were loyal to Syaoran around him.

"Ah, a little army, I see. But you're forgetting that I have your son."

He lifted Syaoran by the collar of his shirt and smiled, but in the brief moment he had looked away, Syaoron had already moved. He appeared behind the man and his foot made contact with his chest, sending him flying into a nearby brick building.

Syaoron picked up his son, who wasn't conscious and barely managed to escape without getting hit by some form of projectile weapon, handing Syaoran to Inga.

"You three get him out of here safely." He said, "I'll deal with these people."

Inga nodded and turned to flee. Arrows and bullets came her way, but Yuna and Tomoyo deflected them. Tomoyo misjudged a swing and the arrow hit her in the arm, but she ignored the agony. Her priority was making sure her master was safe.

"Inga, up ahead!" Tomoyo shouted.

Inga ducked, avoiding the weapon coming for her head, and Tomoyo and Yuna leapt forward to defend Inga and Syaoran. It didn't take long for the two of them to defeat the hunter, allowing them to barrel forward to safety.

...

Syaoron glared at the hunter who had tortured Syaoran. He wanted nothing more than to rip the man to shreds for what he did, but sadly he needed information.

"Tell me. Were you tipped off by someone about who Syaoran is?" he asked.

The hunter laughed. "Yes, I was." He said, "It was anonymous, though."

"Thanks for the info." Syaoron smiled, and then lunged forwards.

Covered in his enemies' blood, Syaoron made his way to where Kei was finishing off his last remaining enemy, slicing them in two. Kei turned to him and stared at him with an unreadable expression.

"Kei." He hissed. "We'll be talking once this fight has ceased."

Kei just turned and left the clearing, having finished his job, not saying a word.

…

Syaoran woke surrounded by warmth and comfort. He cracked open his eyes to find he was surrounded by the familiar walls and furniture of his room. His entire body ached. He could move his limbs, thankfully, but even so, his body was still searing with pain. He remembered being tortured, sliced and cut with hunter weapons, and the joy on the men's faces as they inflicted agony unto him.

He felt a warm body next to his, distracting him from his thoughts, and glanced over to see Sakura wearing a troubled expression as she snuggled close to him. Sensing his movement, she looked up and pure relief washed over her features.

"Syaoran...oh thank goodness." She whispered, brushing her fingers against his cheek.

"How long have I been out for?" he rasped.

"About a week." Sakura said softly, "If it hadn't been for your father, you'd probably be dead."

He summoned all his strength to roll onto his side and slide his hand over her waist, bringing her closer. She was wearing a thin ivory silk night dress that fell to her thighs. He rested his head against hers and squeezed her body gently.

"What's on your mind?" she asked softly as she caressed his cheek.

His eyes fluttered shut at her touch and he sighed softly. "I need to start doing more. I need to learn how to use my magic properly, and how to fight with a weapon. I'm useless as I am now."

"Syaoran..." she whispered his name, worried. Then, she gave him an understanding smile. "I'll do everything I can to help you. I promise."

"Thank you..." he whispered, sleep tugging down on him once more. Sakura kissed his cheek softly and closed her eyes, falling asleep beside him.

He woke again in the morning to find Inga and Yuna standing at his door. He frowned, rubbed the sleep from his eyes, and sat up. Sakura wasn't beside him, so he could only assume she was busy with her own things for the moment.

"Glad to see you're finally awake."

Syaoran turned his head to see his father sitting on the couch. Syaoron stood and walked over to the bed, sitting himself down on the edge.

"How are you feeling?"

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "A bit bruised and sore."

"I take it that means the medicine has been working well, then. That's a good sign." Syaoron murmured. Then he looked extremely apologetic. "Syaoran, I'm so sorry I couldn't stop you from being sent into that trap."

"There's only so much you can do, dad. I knew it was a trap, but I didn't realise how..." Syaoran replied. "What happened, anyway?"

"Kei had tipped off the hunters that you would be there. He's currently confined to his common room, as per Sakura's order." Syaoron replied. "The council can't defy a decision made by three or more blue bloods."

"Three? Who?" Syaoran frowned in confusion.

"Myself, Sakura and Eriol."

"Eriol's a blue blood?!" Syaoran's jaw hang open in shock.

"Yes, he's been keeping himself hidden quite well. Clever fellow." His father answered. "As for what happened in the village-I killed the head hunter and a number of others. Your little army killed off quite a number as well. Once their numbers fell dangerously low, the rest fled. So, we have control over that village again."

Syaoran took a moment to absorb everything his father had said, and then sighed heavily.

"I need to learn how to fight against the hunters." He murmured.

Syaoron was quiet for a moment and Syaoran turned his head to meet his father's gaze.

Syaoron blinked once. "I know. I've asked Dimitreu to train you." He said. "But for now, focus on recovering. Sakura's been quite worried."

"Where is...?"

Syaoron smiled softly. "You don't have to worry. She's in a council meeting, discussing what is to be done with Kei. I need to be there too, so I'll leave you be." He stood and headed for the door.

"Thank you, dad." Syaoran replied.

Syaoron closed the door and sighed heavily. He was relieved that Syaoran was going to be fine, and he was relieved that his son was also beginning to accept the reality of their situation. However, it didn't make it any easier.

He made his way through the castle corridors to the council hall. Seated around the large table were the various leaders and remaining blue bloods, including Sakura and Eriol. Kei stood at the head of the table looking impatient, which was no surprise.

As he walked in, Kei's head turned in his direction. "You took your sweet time. Care to enlighten us about why you called this meeting?"

Syaoron narrowed his eyes. "Forgive me. I was waiting for my son to wake up so that I could speak with him."

"How is he?" one of the other blue bloods-Finn-asked. He was not often around the castle, as most of his work was done around the European areas. He had known Syaoron for centuries and was grateful for his help he had given during some of the hardest times, now being one of them.

"He'll be alright, thankfully. I'm lucky I got there when I did-if I had arrived any later, he'd probably be worse off than he already is." Syaoron answered.

Sakura felt a furry tail brush against her leg, and she looked down to see Sora's big blue eyes looking up at her. Then, the cat jumped up onto her lap and onto the table.

"What's that _thing_ doing here?" Kei spat.

"Sora is here because I asked it of her." Syaoron replied.

Sakura watched with curiosity as Sora walked over to Syaoron and sat down in front of him. Syaoron reached out and patted her gently.

"I have called you all here today to discuss the punishment of the one who has betrayed our people, and their trust." He began. "What do you have to say for yourself… Kei?"

Kei raised his brow with surprise. "I know you said you were going to talk to me about the brat, but don't you think this is a bit much?"

"I do not. I knew from the moment you sent my son out there, that it was a trap. I knew you wanted him dead, but I simply assumed that you were just sending him on a suicidal mission, even after he himself stated that he did not have the proper training." Syaoron answered.

Kei snorted, "What are you implying?"

"We know you contacted the hunters before Syaoran arrived." Sakura spoke. "Sora doesn't just sleep around the castle all day."

It didn't take long for Kei to realise exactly what was going on. "Excuse me? The thing can't even speak."

"No, she doesn't, but she doesn't need to." Syaoron murmured as he removed the collar from the cats neck. He slid the little pendant on her collar off and held it up. "This has all of the evidence we need."

"Is that what I think it is?" Eriol asked.

"It is." Syaoron answered, "Let's see what's inside, shall we?"

"You don't seriously think that I would betray our people, do you?" Kei's voice had an edge of panic to it.

"I'd like to see what's inside." Finn said. "After all, it's not like you tried to hide your hatred for the child of prophecy, or how much you wanted him dead."

Murmurs of agreement rose. Syaoron looked Kei directly in the eye, seeing the seething anger and hatred. Sensing the animosity, several others around the table readied themselves to attack, should Kei try to do something. And, as expected, Kei moved to attack Syaoron.

However, Sakura was faster. Focusing her magic into the palm of her hand, she dealt a blow of tremendous force into the middle of his chest and sent him flying back into the stone walls. Seizing the chance, Eriol and Finn bound him in sealing chains so he couldn't move or fight back in any way.

"Take him to the dungeons, for now." Syaoron said, "I'd like to discuss the evidence, first."

Sakura walked over to the doors and peered out, "Akiho, please escort him to the dungeons."

Akiho nodded and walked in to take the chains from Eriol and Finn, and then proceeded to drag Kei from the room.

…

Syaoran roused when he heard his door closing and opened his eyes to see Sakura holding a tray with his dinner on it. She smiled as she sat down on the edge of his bed. Somehow, he managed to summon the strength to sit up.

"Tomoyo was going to bring it to you, but I offered to." She said.

He smiled, "Thanks."

"Have you been sleeping all day?" she asked as she handed the tray to him.

Syaoran nodded.

"Good. Your body should heal quicker, then." Sakura murmured.

"What about you?" he asked.

Sakura shifted to make herself more comfortable. "I was in a meeting with your father and the other blue bloods who attended. There were other leaders there as well."

He furrowed his brow, "What was it about?"

"Kei's treason." Sakura replied.

Syaoran was quiet for a minute, lost in thought. "Are you able to fill me in?"

Sakura smiled and she obliged his request, explaining everything that had happened. Syaoran wasn't sure what he was more surprised about-the fact that Kei was actually being punished for his misdeeds, or the fact that Sora wasn't an ordinary cat.

"What's happening with him?" he asked.

"We'll be having another meeting in a few days." Sakura answered.

"I'd like to be there." Syaoran said.

She nodded, "Of course." She replied, "Incapacitating Kei today was oddly satisfying. I wish I had done it sooner to protect myself."

Syaoran reached out and squeezed her hand. " _Don't_ blame yourself for anything that happened. It is not your fault."

Sakura looked at him in wonder for a moment, and then her lips curved up into a small smile. "Thank you."

…

Within the next few days, Syaoran felt he had enough strength to leave his room. He was beginning to feel rather sick of his bedroom after being stuck in it for several days, so the change of scenery was rather welcome.

Syaoran sat on the couch in his common room with a hot cup of coffee in his hands. Eriol was sitting at the table playing a game of cards with Yuna to pass time.

"You sure you're ok to be up? You look pretty exhausted." Eriol commented.

"I just didn't get much sleep last night." Syaoran murmured before sipping his coffee.

"What kept you awake?" he asked.

"I guess it was because of all the sleep I was getting from recovering." He shrugged.

Eriol looked sceptical. "Hmm...ok then."

There was a knock at the door and Syaoran called for them to come in, looking up to see his father enter.

"Where's Sakura?" Syaoron asked with some confusion.

"She's still asleep." Syaoran replied.

"Oh, that's a shame. There was something I wanted to show her."

Syaoran frowned, "What is it?"

His father held up a photo album, "Some photos."

"Oh." Syaoran returned his attention to his coffee. "She probably won't be awake for a while."

His father raised his brow. "Oh? Why's that?"

"Just a feeling." Syaoran said quickly.

"Alright then."

Syaoran cleared his throat and averted his eyes as his father stared at him, before turning to sit down.

"When you're well enough, you can start your training with Dimitreu."

Syaoran nodded, "I think I'll be ok within the next few days. Most of my wounds seem to have healed."

"Just keep in mind that those weapons made to hunt our kind are lethal for a reason. It took me nearly a whole year to fully recover from being shot." Syaoron reminded him.

Syaoran looked thoughtful for a moment. He needed to take that information into account. He was moving around fairly ok for now, but would training cause him any more issues?

"Alright. I'll keep that in mind." Syaoran replied.

His father smiled, "Good to hear."

…

Sakura woke to the warm sun on her back and rolled over to find that Syaoran had already woken up. She wasn't surprised, given how late in the day it was, and so she stood and headed for the bath.

After refreshing herself, she got out and dressed herself in a pale pink dress that faded to yellow at the bottom of the skirt. The skirt had four layers that fell from beneath the bust, and a single sleeve covered her shoulder, holding up the garment.

Once she looked respectable, she headed downstairs where she found Syaoran talking with Eriol.

She smiled and walked over, "Hello."

Eriol smiled, "Good afternoon. Sleep well?"

Sakura nodded and looked to Syaoran, who gave her a small smile.

"Have I missed anything?" Sakura asked as she sat down beside him.

Eriol shook his head, "No, we were just discussing some stuff from the university we were at together."

"University, huh?" she hummed in thought, remembering that universities were a place that humans studies to get degrees for their jobs. "What were you studying, Syaoran?"

"Psychology and forensics." Syaoran replied, "It was interesting to learn about. I kind of miss it, sometimes."

"Do you want to go back?" Sakura asked hesitantly.

Syaoran shook his head. "I know this place has been hard for me to adjust to, and there's been issues with Kei, but I have people I'd rather be with here." He made eye contact with her at the end of his sentence and she blushed.

"So... why were you talking about your university?" she frowned with confusion.

Syaoran smiled, amused. "Apparently I've been announced as dead in the human world." He said with a shrug, "I'm not terribly surprised but it's not very common to announce that someone's deceased without any form of evidence."

Sakura frowned. "That is weird."

"Lord Syaoron is looking into it. He thinks something is amiss and may have something to do with the Night World." Eriol added.

Sakura wondered how the Night World could be involved, if it was somehow. "I guess he's always been thorough." She murmured.

Syaoran laughed, "Yeah, I guess he has when it came to me or anything about my mum."

"That's really sweet." Sakura smiled.

Syaoran nodded, "Yeah."

Sakura's stomach growled loudly, and her face turned a deep shade of crimson. Syaoran and Eriol burst into laughter.

"Guess someone needs to eat." Syaoran said between laughs.

"That's so embarrassing..." Sakura mumbled.

Syaoran just continued to laugh.

...

Syaoran sat at the end of the table in the council hall, staring Kei dead in the face. The blue blood was still bound in the chains that refrained his movement and stopped him from using his magic. Kei stared back with intense hatred and murderous desire.

Sitting at the table were a few new guests, compared to the last meeting. Luna and Arte sat with them at the table, having been filled in on everything that had happened. Syaoran was a little surprised, given that he thought they were finding a new home to settle in. Just moments earlier they had been discussing the irrefutable evidence Syaoron had given them and had come to a suitable sentence for his crimes.

"Kei. You have betrayed our trust in attempting to assassinate a fellow blue blood who has done nothing to warrant such treatment." Sakura spoke calmly from where she stood as leader. "And not only that, but you conspired with the hunters and traitors in order to do so. You turned your back on your people all for the sake of the power you desired. Do you have an explanation?"

Kei smiled cruelly. "He was only going to bring us down. He's pretty bloody useless to us."

"Useless to you, you mean." Eriol snorted.

Sakura sighed heavily. "The council has come to a decision in regard to your punishment." She spoke, "You will be incarcerated, put into a deep sleep for the rest of eternity. You will find no salvation in death."

He snorted. "This must be his father's suggestion, hm?"

"No, it was mine."

"The Lunar Twins..." he laughed, "Of course it was you."

"Silence." Luna spoke ruthlessly.

He said nothing more and Sakura looked down at him with cold eyes. "Farewell, Kei."

Syaoran watched as Kei was taken away and Sakura nodded. "I bring this meeting to a close."

The council disbanded, leaving Sakura and Syaoran in the room with Eriol and the Lunar Twins.

Syaoran greeted them politely, "Thank you for your help." He said.

Luna smiled. "We should be thanking you. After all, you saved our lives."

Sakura smiled, "Even so, it was kind of you to come to us."

Artemis smiled. "It was our pleasure, however I'm afraid we really must be going. There is a lot we still need to do."

She nodded understandingly. "We understand."

Artemis looked to Syaoran, "Good luck in your training. I just hope it will be enough in the end."

Syaoran gave her a confused look and she smiled before leaving the room with her sister, leaving him with an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach.


	14. Follow the Leader

**Sorry for the late update. I've reached the point where I've run out of pre-written chapters. I got stuck with how I wanted to write the next half of the story, but I have a plan now. Hopefully (fingers crossed) it won't take me too long to write the upcoming chapters.**

* * *

Syaoran was exhausted. Despite being able to actually get out of bed and move around, it didn't mean it was easy for him-his entire body ached and he just wanted to sleep, but that wasn't the only reason he felt so tired. It had been a long day and after Kei had been sent off to be ready for incarceration, the meeting had turned to stabilising their affairs and appointing someone with the role of leadership.

And somehow, he had been chosen. Initially he had opposed it-Syaoran would feel far more comfortable if it was his father leading and not him. He had argued he didn't have the experience to be called a leader, but no one seemed bothered by that. Everyone offered him their support and their guidance, despite him saying he had no experience.

He felt stressed and afraid. Thousands of lives were resting on his shoulders now, and all because of the bloody prophecy. It was his job to keep their people safe... it was daunting, and he just wanted to curl up and pretend he didn't exist.

A gentle hand touched his arm, startling him out of his thoughts, and when he looked over he smiled upon seeing Sakura crawl in beside him.

"Sorry I wasn't here earlier." Sakura smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Don't be. You've been busy with the council, right?" he replied.

She nodded. "Overseeing Kei's incarceration involves more work than I initially thought. It's been hundreds of years since a vampire, let alone a blue blood, has been handed this sentence."

Syaoran furrowed his brow as he recalled one of the books he had read a while back. At the time he hadn't thought much of it, but recent events had jogged his memory.

"They're neither living nor dead, right?" he murmured.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. "You know about it?"

"I spend nearly all of my spare time in the library or with you." He reminded her.

Sakura giggled, "Right, I forgot. It's true, though. It is like living in an eternal nightmare and there's no escape." She added, "It's about time he was punished."

Syaoran saw the anger in her eyes, but he knew it was because he had been placed in danger. He knew the anger she felt primarily was because Kei had tried to murder him and felt no remorse-yes, she still felt angry about how Kei had wronged her, but she could deal with being hurt by Kei. She was used to it, after all, but as soon as he tried to lay his hands on Syaoran…

"I'm glad, too. But not because he was trying to kill me." He murmured.

She looked up at him with confusion, "What is your reason?" she asked.

"He can't hurt you anymore." Syaoran said as he met her gaze.

She smiled, though it held a hint of sadness, prompting him to reach out to cup her cheek gently. She shifted closer to him to hug him and sighed in bliss.

"Sakura..." he murmured her name softly as he nuzzled her hair, tilting her face up so their lips met in the sweetest of kisses.

She threaded her fingers through his hair and deepened the kiss; she was shy, but he was shier. She coaxed his tongue into a dance with hers while his hand slid up to cup the back of her neck as they kissed, prompting her to press her body closer to his, desperate for his warmth. They parted breathless and Syaoran winced, which did not go unnoticed by Sakura.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"Don't worry-I'm just still sore." He replied.

"Is there anything you need?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No, it will go away soon. I am tired, though."

She nodded and smiled. "Let's get some sleep."

He squeezed her body gently and soon felt sleep starting to pull him under.

...

Sakura was startled awake in the morning when she heard a loud bang and several shouts. Syaoran was woken by the ruckus as well, and he frowned.

"I wonder what's going on...?" he murmured.

Sakura shrugged and grabbed her dressing gown, sliding it on and turned to him. "I'll be back in a minute. I'm just going to ask what has happened."

He lifted himself up on his elbow, "Ok."

She headed out the door and down the spiral staircase, where she spotted Akiho, Eriol, Tomoyo, Yuna and both of Syaoron's guards all standing looking very alert.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

Akiho turned to Sakura and answered seriously. "Kei has escaped his confines."

Sakura froze. "He _what_?!" she shouted, "Who the hell made such a stupid blunder?!"

"My Lady, he is still a blue blood and is very powerful." Inga said, but Sakura span around to her and glared at her angrily.

"I'm well aware of that-that's why so many extra precautions were taken! I want a full report on how he escaped by nightfall!"

"Lady Sakura." Syaoron spoke softly from where he stood. "You will have your report by tonight, but please try and relax. He won't get to you or Syaoran, I promise."

His eyes held sincerity and honesty, and her anger immediately dissipated. "How do you know that...?"

"There's a barrier around this area. If he comes this way, I'll know." He spoke gently.

Sakura sighed and nodded.

"So please, stay here for the day until this issue is resolved."

"Very well. I entrust this situation to you." Sakura said quietly and then turned to head back upstairs.

Syaoran was waiting, still in bed, looking worried having heard her outburst from downstairs.

"What's wrong?" he asked as she slid her robe off her shoulders and slid back into bed.

She buried her face in his chest and hugged him tightly. He could tell she was very upset.

"Sakura?"

"Kei escaped." She whispered.

He froze for a minute, but then relaxed. "I see."

"Aren't you angry?" she asked, looking up at him.

He lay back in the sheets and pulled her with him. "I'm not particularly happy about it, but I have to trust the others to take care of the situation."

She stared at him with surprise for a moment, and then smiled. "You really are amazing."

"Not really..."

"No, you are. I can barely stay calm." She whispered as she held on to him tightly.

Syaoran squeezed her body gently, "Neither can I."

Sakura sighed heavily, "I guess we should just trust your father. He said he would handle it."

Syaoran smiled and decided to change the subject, "I'm thinking I'd like to go to the library again today."

Sakura raised her brow, "Aren't you sick of reading?"

"Not really. I don't know a great deal about this worlds history, and if I'm going to be a leader, I need to know as much as possible." Syaoran replied, "What will you do with your day?"

"I don't know. It's been a while since I did anything just for fun. This war has changed us all..."

Syaoran frowned. "Sounds like I need to do something about that."

Sakura raised her brow, "What do you mean?"

Syaoran sat up, "You'll see. Don't worry," he added when she looked at him strangely, "It's nothing weird, I promise."

Despite being upset about Kei, Sakura found herself laughing.

"Okay," she said, "I'll look forward to it."

He grinned, "Good."

…

Overall, their day wasn't particularly interesting. Syaoran spent a lot of his time in the library reading up on the history of the Night World, while Sakura found peace in the gardens while she worked on embroidering silk. She wasn't as good as Tomoyo, but she did have some skill after her many years of practice. And when she grew tired, she decided to return to Syaoran's common room.

She found him sitting on the couch with a heavy leather-bound book in his hands, and sensing her approach, Syaoran looked up and smiled.

"Hey."

She returned his smile, "Anything interesting in there?"

He shrugged, "I think I've gotten a little side tracked, to be honest. I'm reading up on the different types of creatures and species here. Some aren't so different to the human world, but I'm finding that a lot of what was viewed as myth is... very true."

Sakura smiled, "Sometimes creatures venture away and find themselves in the human realm by accident. Other times it's completely on purpose."

"I guessed."

"There's a book in the library that goes into further detail about some of the creatures if you're interested?" she added.

"Sure," he replied.

Sakura smiled, "I'll need your help getting it down."

Taking her hint, Syaoran slid a piece of paper into the book to mark where he was up to and closed it, placing the book on the table, and then stood.

"Okay then."

In the library, Sakura sat on top of Syaoran's shoulders as she browsed the shelves in search for the book she was after. Syaoran had no problems with holding her up, but...

"Sakura, why not just use the ladder?" he asked.

"Because," she murmured, "Sitting on your shoulders is more fun."

Syaoran couldn't help but roll his eyes in a good-natured way.

"Could you move a little to the right?" she asked.

Syaoran carefully shifted over to the right until she said stop and began resuming her search.

"Aha!" she shouted in triumph and startled Syaoran, who lost his footing and toppled over backwards with Sakura following.

He landed hard on his back and his head throbbed from the impact. Sakura groaned in pain and sat up, finding that they had landed in a rather compromising position.

Syaoran groaned when he realised too. "This is so fucking cliché." He muttered.

Just then, Akiho appeared around the corner and her face turned bright red.

"S-sorry!"

"Ah-wait!" Sakura said as she shifted off of Syaoran, "What is it you wanted to see me about, Akiho?"

Akiho cleared her throat and tried hard not to look awkwardly between the two as they stood.

"Kei has escaped the castle grounds. Lord Syaoran is tracking him personally as we speak, and he hopes to have either captured him or have information on his whereabouts by later tonight." Akiho explained.

Sakura looked troubled, wondering what on earth Kei was up to. "Thank you, Akiho. Is the tea and cake I asked about ready to be served yet? I'm getting rather hungry." Sakura answered.

Akiho smiled and nodded, "Yes, shall I head on ahead and get it ready?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you." She replied.

Akiho turned and left, leaving the two alone once more.

"Are you hurt?" Sakura asked.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Syaoran said.

She frowned. "That's not an answer, Syaoran."

"I'll be fine." He replied, "It's just a bit of bruising."

Sakura nodded with a smile and held out the book she had managed to grab hold of. "Here,"

Syaoran took it, "Thank you."

"Let's head back-I'm feeling rather peckish." She confessed with a laugh.

Syaoran smiled in amusement as they started to walk, "And what is it we're eating today?"

"Strawberry sponge cake-I haven't had it in so long. My father used to bake cakes for us when he was alive." She spoke with a hint of sadness, "I miss him."

Syaoran took her hand in his and squeezed gently. She smiled up at him, but he could tell she wasn't feeling her best. He knew that it was not the grief she felt from losing her father that had triggered her sad mood, but because of Kei and everything that had happened-everything that WAS happening. Syaoran wondered if despite what Kei had done to her, she had once considered him like family. After all, from what he had heard from Sakura, she had grown up with him and they once used to be best friends.  
She must have felt like she'd lost another family member.

Afternoon tea was ready for them by the time they got back. Tomoyo was chatting away with Akiho and smiled as the couple approached.

"Akiho mentioned you two had a fall-are you okay?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yeah, we're fine." Sakura answered with a smile as she sat down.

"Seeing as you're all here, do you think you'd be up for a game?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura looked at him, puzzled. "Where is this coming from?"

He blinked, "You said you hadn't had the chance to have fun much since the war started."

Sakura recalled their earlier conversation and smiled. Tomoyo smiled as well, "Sure-why not?"

Yuna and Eriol both shrugged. "Sure."

"Akiho, will you be joining us?" Sakura asked as she watched Sora jump up onto Syaoran's lap.

Akiho smiled, "Everyone else is joining, so I will too."

"Great-I'll be back in a minute." Syaoran stood and headed upstairs, opening his door only to have water come crashing down on him.

"ERIOL!" he shouted.

Eriol's raucous laughter sounded from the common room. Syaoran grabbed the bucket and focused his magic around his body, using a heat spell he had learned from Sakura to dry himself and his clothes. He then grabbed the game he was looking for from his cupboard and returned to the bottom of the stairs, promptly tossing the bucket at Eriol's head.

Eriol laughed as he caught it, while Syaoran muttered under his breath as he sat down.

"Wait, is that monopoly?" Eriol then asked.

"Yes." Syaoran replied.

"You know this game?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"We played it a few times while in the human realm." Eriol answered, "Most of the players were drunk."

"I bet that was a mess." Yuna snorted.

"It was an amusing mess." Syaoran replied as he started setting up the board game.

"Should I be concerned?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran laughed, "No, there's no need for concern."

"Ha. Yeah right." Eriol snorted.

"Maybe someone here can finally beat you at this stupid game." Syaoran retorted.

"Oh, is your pride wounded?" Eriol grinned.

"Hardly."

Sakura, Akiho, Tomoyo and Yuna all looked at each other, baffled. Clearly, they were missing something here.

"Okay, let's start."

"What are the rules?" Akiho asked curiously.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Syaoran apologised, remembering that they were not familiar with this game from the human realm. He tried to explain the rules as best he could, with Eriol pitching in every now and again, and when they finally seemed to understand, they all started the game.

...

Syaoron stayed hidden in the darkness as he watched Kei down below enter an encampment of traitors, people who were once human but were forced into becoming a vampire. He frowned when a familiar man approached Kei, greeting him in a friendly manner.

"You managed to escape." The man spoke to Kei.

Kei nodded. "Yes-Sakura underestimated me and my abilities. She's always been naïve."

"Sakura? Do you mean that blue blood whore?"

Oh, how Syaoron desperately wanted to kill them. Unfortunately, he was outnumbered and surrounded by a camp of vampires. He might be powerful, but he wasn't stupid. He knew when he couldn't win.

"Yes."

"You should have killed her ages ago." The man huffed, "It's too late now, though. Come with me to discuss intel."

Syaoron froze. First, he felt pure rage. How long had Kei been aiding the enemy and feeding them vital information? How long had they known about Syaoran? _How much_ did they know?

This was not good. As he frowned in thought, one last question rose in his mind-what the fuck was Kei's motive?

He chose to move closer to see if he could hear any more of the conversation while trying to remain as hidden as possible.

"Where are they moving to, right now?" the man asked Kei.

"They're headed for a lot of the small towns in the south." Kei answered, "So the main capital is completely vulnerable right now."

 _'That was his aim? To move us far enough away from Alyria?'_ Syaoron frowned.

"And you say that conquering the capital is what will aid our advantage?"

"If we conquer Alyria, we'll have control over all of the beast tribes." Kei explained, "It's our best bet."

"Hmm... and what of this prophecy twit?"

"We don't need to worry about him. He's weak and barely knows a single thing. We should focus on building up our forces so that we can combat the beast tribes as well as the vampires. They won't back down without a fight." Kei replied.

"Very well. We will hold a meeting tomorrow to discuss further action."

"Of course."

Having heard enough details, Syaoron returned to where Inga and Dimitreu were waiting.

"Did you find anything?" he asked his retainers.

Inga shook her head, "I'm sorry."

Dimitreu shook his head as well, "nothing."

"Nothing about the rest of the encampment, or where they intend to hit next?" Syaoron prompted.

"A few traitors were complaining about wanting to return to the fortress and comfortable bedding." Dimitreu shrugged.

"Fortress..." Syaoron murmured. There were quite a few fortresses, and all of them could hold a large number of people or beings.

"What about you?" Inga asked.

Syaoron sighed heavily. "Our situation is dire. The information I have gathered must be relayed to the others at once."

Inga and Dimitreu both looked at each other, and then back to their Lord.

"Understood."

...

A meeting was called as soon as Syaoron returned to the castle, and the news he relayed to everyone was disturbing, to say the least. Sakura was shocked the most. The news seemed to have shaken her to her core, which did not go unnoticed by Syaoran or his father.

Syaoran listened to what everyone had to say on the subject, weighing their opinions carefully as he knew that at some point he would need to come to a final decision on the matter at hand.

"I can't believe this!" Sakura shouted later that night after the meeting had ended. Syaoran was sitting on the couch, watching her pace back and forth.

"He had turned on us long before you joined us! I thought it was strange he wanted you dead so badly, but he knew you would be a threat to the enemy!"

"I'm just as angry as you are, my lady." Syaoron spoke calmly, "But we can't linger on what could have been. Everyone is expecting a course of action-an answer to what we should do next."

Syaoran felt his father's eyes on him as he sat there, thinking.

Sakura sighed heavily and sat down next to him. "You're right... I'm just so angry I didn't see it."

"What are you thinking about, Syaoran?" Syaoron asked his son. He had noticed the frown he wore when he was trying to figure something out or find an answer.

"Something about this bothers me." Syaoran murmured. "The hunters and traitors want the blue bloods dead; Kei is a blue blood."

"It's likely Kei just sees them as a means to an end, and vice versa." Sakura replied.

"Yes, but what is it Kei wants, exactly?" Syaoran asked.

Silence fell on the room. Eventually, Syaoron broke it as he spoke, "We can try and figure it out along the way, but we need to decide on a course of action. Syaoran, you've been chosen as leader-what do you want to do?"

"How long will it take for them to build up their forces?" Syaoran asked, his brow still furrowed in thought.

"Roughly three months, at minimum, based on all of my current intel." Syaoron replied.

Syaoran nodded. "Kei seems to think I'll remain completely useless. I will continue to focus on my training. We should head to Alyria and alert everyone there of the coming threat and prepare."

Syaoron nodded, "That is a wise move."

"Dad, you know this world better than I do. You understand how it works and the societies in it. I don't have the knowledge necessary to coordinate armies-would you mind taking on that job?"

"Very well." Syaoron answered.

"Sakura, I won't ask you not to fight when the time comes. But will you oversee our medical needs? We need to be prepared with enough medicine and supplies." Syaoran then added.

Sakura smiled gently. "Of course."

A soft knock sounded and Eriol stepped inside. "Everything is prepared."

Syaoran nodded, "Eriol is leading... my followers to liberate the smaller towns while we head to Alyria."

He felt uncomfortable calling them his army but calling them his followers didn't feel much different either.

"I'll be leaving now. Try not to die while I'm gone." Eriol smiled.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Gee, thanks."

"Stay safe out there." Sakura said with a kind smile.

Eriol nodded, "You as well, Lady Sakura."

"We look forward to your safe return." Syaoron added.

"Thank you, my lord. Farewell for now."

Eriol left and Syaoran stood, "I'm feeling exhausted, so I'm going to head to bed."

"I'll leave you be, then." Syaoron replied, "I have some things to do anyway."

Syaoran nodded and headed straight for the stairs. His entire body ached, reminding him that he still hadn't fully recovered from being tortured. Just as he climbed beneath the bed covers, Sakura entered and climbed in beside him. Without saying anything, he pulled her against his frame and closed his eyes. The tingle of magic stopped him from falling to sleep straight away.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled as the pain in his body started to lessen.

"You're in pain." She replied softly, "Don't deny it either."

Too tired to argue, he just squeezed her body gently against his.

"Thank you." He murmured just as he fell into slumber, leaving behind the worries and stress of their current predicament.

* * *

 **Let me know your thoughts :) No flames. Constructive criticism is always welcome.**

 **I've been playing a lot of final fantasy 14 lately. hahahahahaha -sobs-**


	15. Take Flight

**Hi everyone-sorry for the super late update. I did have this written a little while back but haven't really had the energy to read through and edit it due to life stuff. It shouldn't take too long for the next chapter to be out, as i already have it written in my notes on my phone.**

* * *

Roughly a week passed before Syaoran had recovered enough to begin travelling to Alyria, and that was thanks to Sakura's healing powers-had it not been for her, he would still barely be able to move. While Syaoran was grateful to be able to move freely again, he now found himself being the very centre of attention. He thought he had gotten used to it, being the famed child of prophecy, but he never realised that compared to now, it had been nothing.

Syaoran knew he had to get used to it. He was now their leader, and everyone was relying on him for morale, which just made him more anxious. So, when they stopped for the night, Syaoran couldn't wait to get to bed and just relax without some sort of commotion going on around him. He stared up at the ceiling, his eyes following the stone carvings while he lay on his bed. The sound of the door opening did little to distract him until he heard his father clear his throat. Syaoran frowned and sat up.

"Is the roof really that interesting?" Syaoron asked.

"I'm exhausted and just wanted to be alone." He answered. "Please don't tell me there's a meeting."

His father laughed, "No, there's not. Dimitreu will start your training tomorrow evening. He's currently running an errand for me, otherwise he would start tonight."

Syaoran nodded, relieved that he didn't have to worry about starting training that night. "Okay."

Syaoron watched his son for a moment. He could tell he was unhappy about something, and he had a pretty good guess as to what it was.

"You're making that face again."

Syaoran looked at his father, realising he was referring to the frown he often wore when something troubled him.

"I'm just tired with everything going on right now. I guess I'm feeling...overwhelmed."

Syaoron smiled sadly. "I know... Sakura has been worried about you."

"Why does everyone want me to lead when I clearly don't have the necessary knowledge?" Syaoran asked, looking his father in the eye.

Syaoron's face remained expressionless for a long moment, until he sighed heavily. "It's _because_ you know what you can and can't do. You acknowledge the things you know nothing about and state the best solution to the issue. You're observant and passionate-merciful yet just as ruthless. You inspire others and possess all of the necessary qualities of a leader."

Syaoran had nothing to say. He wanted to argue-he felt his father was wrong about him, or maybe that was just what he _wanted_ to believe. Everyone was placing their hopes and trust onto his shoulders and it was hard NOT to be smothered by the heavy expectations.

"Sakura said the same thing when I asked her, too." He said instead.

"Are you feeling angry?" Syaoron suddenly asked.

"About what?"

"Don't play games with me, Syaoran. You know what."

Syaoran laughed bitterly. "Like you can talk."

His father's face softened, which was not the reaction he'd been expecting.

"You have every right to be angry, Syaoran."

"I'm slowly coming to terms with it." Syaoran said quietly. "But if I make one-ONE-wrong move, it could seal the fate for everyone. How do I come to terms with that?"

His question was met with silence, making him turn his head away.

After a long pause, his father spoke. "I don't know, kiddo. That's something you'll have to figure out yourself."

Syaoron then turned to leave, stopping to let Sakura in and then closed the door behind him on his way out.

Sakura looked at Syaoran with a puzzled expression, "Is everything okay?"

Syaoran sighed. "I just need some rest."

She climbed beneath the warm blankets beside him and he moved to lie down with her, resting his arm over her waist.

"You hardly spend any time in your quarters." He murmured.

She raised her brow. "Is that a hint for me to stop coming?"

"Of course not." He frowned. "Wouldn't it be easier for you to just move your things here, or for me to move my things?"

"That's true." Sakura smiled. "I'll have my things moved then."

Syaoran raised his brow, "Are you sure?"

"Very."

Syaoran smiled. He liked the idea of have her move in, in a sense. Part of him wondered what his life with her would be like in the human world but shook his head of the thought. This was his home now. She kissed his cheek and then rested her head on the pillow, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.

...

Syaoran approached his common room after breakfast to find several castle servants all looking around with lost expressions. Tomoyo raised her brow with surprise when she noticed they were all carrying what looked to be most of Sakura's belongings.

"Why are they all carrying Sakura's belongings?" Tomoyo asked out loud.

"Sakura and I both decided it would be easier for one of us to just move our things in together." Syaoran replied, "She sure got on it fast."

Tomoyo laughed softly. "This is a really nice surprise. It's been a long time since I've seen Sakura so happy with someone at her side."

Syaoran's ears perked and he looked at Tomoyo inquiringly, making her smile wider. "She told you about her ex fiancé, right?"

Syaoran nodded.

"Ever since then, and with this war, she closed herself off. When we were younger, Sakura was always really cheerful and energetic... Ever since she met you, she's slowly starting to show that side of herself again. She's so much brighter." Tomoyo continued.

Syaoran felt himself smile. He wanted to be able to see her keep smiling, so he would do his best for her sake and for his.

Tomoyo approached the servants and guided them inside, with Syaoran following in behind. As soon as he sat down, Sakura walked in with Akiho, who was reading out a list of things that needed to be tended to.

Akiho finished off the list and Sakura nodded, "Thank you Akiho. Please go on ahead and start preparations-I will join you soon."

"Yes, my lady." Akiho turned and hurried off out the door, while Sakura smiled as she approached Syaoran.

"What were you discussing?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"Preparation to gather the medicinal supplies we need. Some of it requires hunting and are difficult to procure through usual quick methods." Sakura answered.

"I see-I hope it won't be too big of an ordeal." He murmured.

Sakura laughed and kissed his cheek, "Focus on your own problems. Leave this to me."

He felt himself smile with amusement. "Alright."

"I think the servants will be busy for most of today organising my things," Sakura said, "Would you like to-"

A knock on the door cut her off and Syaoran looked over to find Dimitreu standing at the door. He bowed politely and spoke.

"Pardon me, my lord."

Syaoran blinked. "What is it?"

"I believe your father has informed you that I will be training you?"

Syaoran nodded and stood, understanding what the man wanted. "I'll see you later, Sakura."

Sakura gave him a smile and nodded. "Good luck."

Though she felt disappointed she couldn't finish her sentence, she didn't mind. He needed to train, and they were always together in the evening, so it wasn't like they'd never get any time together. Syaoran was doing his absolute best to prepare for the upcoming fight, and she needed to do the same. If everything went according to plan, it would put an end to the war once and for all.

The area Dimitrius had chosen for Syaoran's training was a very large circular room, completely empty of furniture, providing an open space in which one could move freely about without worry.

"Your father told me you are already well versed in martial arts," Demetrius spoke.

Syaoran nodded. "Yes."

"I will be teaching you how to wield a weapon-the traitors are still vampires, and therefore prone to silver just like we are." Demetrius explained.

"And what about the hunters?" Syaoran asked.

Dimitreu turned around, "Hunters are still mostly human, despite their supernatural strength and powers. I'm sure you know enough about what kills them."

Syaoran took his words into account, nodding slowly. The training Dimitreu would provide him with the necessary skills to fight these enemies and stay alive.

"I will train you in close combat, and ranged attacks." Dimitreu spoke, "You are familiar with guns, are you not?"

Syaoran nodded. "I've never used one, but I know what they are."

"I will be teaching you how to use one, along with knives. Always have a backup weapon with you-magic won't always work for you."

"I understand."

It was better to be safe than sorry, and Syaoran needed all he could get before the upcoming battle.

"I'll show you the basics of the two, and then you can practice." Dimitreu added, "you'll be using different bullets for practice, however."

Syaoran frowned, "Not a different gun?"

"You need to get used to how it will feel." Dimitreu replied, "Now, let's get started."

...

Sakura placed the last of her dresses inside the wardrobe just as Syaoran walked into the room. It was late and they hadn't seen each other at dinner, both being occupied with other matters at the time. Sakura noticed he was covered in sweat as he headed straight for the bathroom to bathe.

"How was training?" she asked as he passed.

"Exhausting, but informative. I have a lot I need to work on." He answered.

"Syaoran...don't push yourself too hard, alright? You just recovered from the last fight." Sakura's voice was barely audible, but he had heard her.

He stepped out from the bathroom after he peeled his shirt off, and he smiled gently.

"I'll be careful. I promise."

Sakura smiled with amusement. She knew that if push came to shove, he would go to any lengths to achieve what needed to be done. It was one of the many things she loved about him, but it was also something that caused her worry.

"Just keep that in mind for me." She replied as she started to change.

Syaoran relaxed in the warm bath water. His muscles ached but he knew that the pain would lessen over time as he grew used to training again.

"Syaoran?"

He jumped when he heard her voice and looked over to see she was wearing a bathrobe.

"Sorry, I wasn't paying attention." He apologised.

Sakura laughed softly, "I forgive you."

She sat on the rim of the tub and dipped her fingers into the warm water. "We start moving towards Alyria in three days."

"What's bothering you?" Syaoran asked softly.

Sakura sighed. "I just... want this war to end."

Syaoran could see the exhaustion in her face and could hear it in her voice. If they could find a way to defeat them at Alyria, then the war would end. But...how?

How could they win?

"I'll find a way to end the war." Syaoran said, "But I can't do it on my own."

Sakura smiled, "You're dedicated, despite everything you've been through-despite having this practically forced upon you."

"I can't run away anymore." Syaoran murmured.

Sakura reached down and kissed his cheek, "Let's keep moving forward together."

He smiled softly. Yes-he would keep moving forward with Sakura by his side.

"I almost forgot..." Sakura then added.

He furrowed his brow, "What is it?"

Sakura stood and left the bathroom, returning a few moments later holding the small glowing bottle Artemis and Luna gave him back when they had first met. It was now hanging on a delicate customised platinum chain.

"I had the chain remade with a protective charm. Wear it for me, okay?"

Syaoran took it in his hands, admiring the work. "Thank you, Sakura."

Sakura smiled warmly, "I'll wait for you to finish before going to sleep."

Syaoran nodded and fastened the necklace around his neck. "I won't be long."

She left him in peace. He fidgeted with the chain around his neck, remembering what Artemis had told him about how it would aid him in his fight-back then, he had assumed it was just a onetime thing, but maybe they had meant his true fight. He wondered what essence of moonlight was used for-and what exactly it was-so he made a mental note to himself to look it up in the library when he had the spare time.

He finished up and headed out to the bedroom where Sakura was reading another novel-one that had been among his own things that had been brought to the Night World. She had found it the other evening and asked him if she could read it, and he didn't mind.

"Humans are so strange." Sakura murmured, "Why do they treat women so deplorably?"

Syaoran frowned, "Do you mean in the story or in real life?"

"This story, obviously."

He laughed. "Because people are arseholes?"

"That about sums it up, I guess." She muttered irritably.

"If it bothers you, then don't read it."

"No, I need to know how it ends." Sakura frowned. "That was the end of the chapter. I don't know how I feel."

"Why?"

"Her best friend just died. And we just found out her motive. I have mixed feelings."

He laughed at her frazzled expression that was bordering on irritable and miserable. She sighed softly and marked the page she was up to before setting the book to the side for the night.

"Honestly," Sakura spoke as she moved to lie down next to him, "I'm surprised you haven't asked me about what's in that bottle."

Syaoran furrowed his brow. "The moonlight?"

She smiled, "Yes. I've been waiting for you to ask me for a while now."

"Honestly, it hadn't really crossed my mind since I got it. Too much has been happening for me to really think about it." Syaoran confessed.

She lifted her hand to gently touch the small bottle, the moonlight glowing softly.

"I guess that's true."

"So, what is it?" he asked expectantly.

"No one really knows, exactly." She spoke softly, "There have been times where it reacts to someone's feelings, and no one understands why."

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "So...it has a mind of its own?"

Sakura looked surprised. "Maybe... it would explain a few things."

"Now I'm curious. Explain?" he laughed.

Sakura smiled with amusement. "The last time someone "used" it was when I was very young."

She continued, "It was a woman who, more than anything else, loved her family. But more than her family, she treasured her daughter. Her three-year-old daughter had fallen victim to a curse her own family had placed upon her at birth."

A sudden jolt went through his body as he wondered something.

"Sakura...you're not talking about yourself, are you?" he asked quietly.

Sakura smiled softly and shook her head. "No."

Syaoran relaxed a little as he felt relief knowing it wasn't her.

"The mother begged to switch their places-to take on the curse that was causing her daughter suffering so that she could live. The essence of moonlight that had once been gifted to the child reacted to that wish."

"How did she die?" Syaoran asked quietly.

"Her mother passed away in her sleep three days later." Sakura answered. "You actually know the daughter."

His brow shot up in surprise. "I do?"

She smiled. "Yes."

Syaoran wondered who it was as he went through the list of people he knew that were his and Sakura's age. Sakura, seeing his brow furrowed in thought, laughed gently.

"Syaoran, it's about Akiho."

"Oh."

She laughed again, but then her eyes landed back on the small bottle and she sighed softly. "I'm sorry I can't tell you much more about its magic. It's so rare that we've never really been able to study it."

"I think you've told me plenty." Syaoran replied softly.

Sakura blushed as he reached over to kiss her cheek.

"Goodnight." He turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness.

...

The next few days were utterly exhausting for Syaoran; Dimitreu trained him hard each day, and adding his duties as the leader on top, AND his magic training, kept him well and truly busy into the late hours of the nights.

Even as they travelled to Alyria, his training was still drilled into him-he practiced at night, often before bed, and he usually fell asleep as soon as he hit the sheets. Sakura wasn't surprised though-she knew he would be inundated with work, and that was why she did her best to help him when she could.

He entered the bedroom after another long day and started getting changed, looking over his shoulder when he heard Sakura wall in just behind him.

"How have the medics been going with stock supply?" he asked.

Sakura groaned. "I had three people come up to me asking what we were doing about getting certain herbs."

Syaoran raised his brow slightly. "By the sounds of it, they didn't seem to be very nice about it, either."

"They're lucky I was in a good mood." She muttered.

He walked over to her and slid his arms around her waist from behind. She leant back into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder.

"I need sleep." He mumbled.

Sakura burst into laughter, "Then perhaps we should sleep."

He shook his head, "I'm going to head to the library for a little while."

She frowned, "What are you looking for this time?"

"The same as usual." He replied, "Don't wait for me."

She turned around so she could face him, wearing a stern expression. "You need to sleep."

Syaoran wanted to object, but he knew she was right. He could barely summon the strength to move. Seeing his expression of resignation, Sakura relaxed and smiled.

"Good."

Exhausted, they both climbed into bed to rest before another long day of travelling, training and preparation.

* * *

 **I'm sorry it was a bit of a boring chapter xD I hope the next few chapters will be more interesting. I'm trying to set up a few plot things-it's been a challenge.**

 **Let me know what you thought of this chapter :)**


	16. It's Only The Beginning

BANG. BANG. BANG.

Syaoran relaxed his shoulders and lowered his arms as he struggled to regain his breath. Over the course of the last three weeks, Dimitreu had been training Syaoran relentlessly as he had promised-after all, they didn't have much time so they couldn't afford to take their time. The exercise he had just finished involved shooting moving targets; Dimitreu's magic involved bending light and the surroundings to create illusions, and so he had produced a scenario for training purposes. That was only for target practice, though-he still needed to work on close combat with knives.

He wiped the sweat from his brow before he sat down, leaning back against the tree.

"You've come a long way in such a short time." Dimitreu spoke as he approached.

Syaoran looked over and took the bottle of water his mentor offered him, twisted off the cap and skulled half the bottle. "Even so, it's not enough." He murmured.

"You're right. You need to work on your knife wielding. You depend too much on that firearm." Dimitreu replied, "When it comes to using knives, you hold back. I suggest you confront your feelings about that, or you won't be able to use them as efficiently as you need to."

It frustrated him, but Syaoran knew he was right. Dimitreu turned as he sensed someone approaching, finding Inga making her way over. She smiled politely.

"Looks like you've both been busy with training."

"What brings you here?" Dimitreu frowned.

"Lord Syaoron asked me to deliver a message to the two of you." Inga answered, her blue eyes landing on Syaoran.

Syaoran raised his brow, "He did?"

"What is it?" Dimitreu asked.

"He wanted me to let the two of you know that he has left to gather allies for the upcoming battle. Dimitreu, he wants you to help Syaoran with managing the armies while he's gone." Inga explained.

Dimitreu nodded in response, but Syaoran frowned. "Did he say how long he would be?"

"No."

He groaned. Great.

"He did, however, say that you needn't worry about anything. He just wants you to focus on what you're already doing." Inga added kindly.

Syaoran stood, "Thank you, Inga."

"Oh! There's one more thing." She said, "Yuna D. Kaito wanted me to remind you that a meeting is being held in the council hall."

"Shit!" Syaoran had totally forgotten about it. "Thank you, Inga."

He hurried back inside and headed straight for the council chambers, passing by many of the workers who stopped and bowed respectfully to him. He still hadn't gotten used to the level of respect and admiration they showed him-something they had never really shown Kei.

He pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside. "Sorry I'm so late."

Sakura looked up with surprise, and looking around the room, he realised no one else was there.

"Uh...sure, there's still twenty minutes before it starts." She laughed.

Syaoran mentally kicked himself for not checking the time before running off.

"That's embarrassing." He muttered. "Why are you here so early, then?"

Sakura shrugged. "I had a feeling."

Syaoran looked at her suspiciously and she laughed. "Okay, maybe I told Yuna to tell you to come early."

He rolled his eyes good naturedly and smiled as she walked over to him. She looked up at him with her gentle emerald gaze as she slid her hand into his.

"I..."

The door opened and a young woman walked in; she came to a stop and curtsied. "Forgive my intrusion, my lady."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Alice? What can I do for you?"

"I would like permission to take a small group out to gather dragon scales for a medicinal ointment to help with healing wounds made by hunter weapons. We're currently close to a den nearby, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity as we are running low on supply." The woman named Alice explained.

Sakura nodded, "Take as many people as you need. Do you think you can gather enough to see through the upcoming battle?"

"Yes, I think we can."

"Then go."

Alice nodded and left the pair in a hurry to organise the expedition.

Syaoran squeezed Sakura's hand gently, "You seem more exhausted than usual."

Sakura crooked her brow at him. "And you don't?"

"We're not talking about me." He smiled.

"I suppose not," she murmured. "Have you familiarised yourself with the various beast tribes and faerie folk? Because you'll be meeting their leaders very soon."

"What do you think I've been doing these past few weeks?" he laughed.

"A lot." She replied as she reached up on her tip toes to kiss him softly.

The sound of someone clearing their throat startled Sakura, causing her to jump. She looked over quickly to see it was Yuna, and her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.

"Good evening." He greeted.

"G-Good evening." Sakura stammered.

"How long have you been standing there?" Syaoran asked suspiciously.

He shrugged, "A while."

Sakura shuffled her feet and looked away in a vain attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"The meeting is about to start; we should get ready." She mumbled. Syaoran just nodded.

As soon as everyone was present, Syaoran began the meeting. He listened as everyone updated him on recent findings, news, and filled him in on anything important. It was an estimated day and a half to finally reach Alyria and start the waiting game; what concerned Syaoran was how the other tribes factored into the war and if they would comply with them.

The war was no longer just between hunters and vampires-habitats and homes of tribes and creatures were being destroyed by the Hunters and Traitors in their quest to kill all vampires. But Syaoran knew that it was a possibility that the other tribes wouldn't help because they didn't want to be involved in such acts of violence.

For example, he knew that the faerie folk often kept to themselves, despite playing a few pranks on outsiders every now and again. But he knew other tribes would be seeking revenge for their lost homes and loved ones.

"Syaoran?" Sakura called out to him.

Syaoran looked up to find everyone was staring at him with slight concern.

"Sorry, I was a bit lost in thought about the tribes." He apologised. "Do we know what the hunters and traitors are up to at the moment?"

"Our intel suggests that they're building up on weapons." Someone answered, "Though we aren't entirely sure what kind."

Syaoran nodded. "Until we know more, and until we know who else will join the fight, we will wait before deciding on a plan of action. For now, we carry on as we have already been doing."

Murmurs of agreement filled the room as they all shuffled to leave. Syaoran looked at the map laid out on the table in front of him, his eyes fixed on the city of Alyria.

...

Sakura entered their room late that night and immediately moved to get changed. Syaoran, who was sitting in bed while reading, looked over just as she pulled her silk nightdress on over her head. Spotting him, she smiled at him and walked over, climbing onto the bed beside him.

"Sorry I'm late." She apologised.

"It's fine. You had a few things to tend to, I take it?" he returned her smile and rested his arm around her shoulders as she snuggled against his frame.

"Yes." Sakura confirmed, "What is this book you're reading? Is it one about faerie folk?"

Syaoran nodded, "Yeah..."

Sensing something was amiss, Sakura took the book and closed it before setting it down on the bedside table.

"What's bothering you, Syaoran?" she asked softly.

"I guess I'm just...surprised. I haven't really taken notice of how different the wildlife in this world is compared to that of the human world. The birds, the horses..." he trailed off.

Sakura smiled softly. "Why does it bother you?"

"I guess it's because I didn't want to acknowledge how...closed off I was to this world."

"And what about now?" she asked.

"Well, I'm certainly not closing myself off anymore." He laughed softly.

Sakura gently reached up and cupped his cheek, turning his head so that their gaze met.

"I'll always be here for you." She spoke softly.

Syaoran felt himself smile with her words.

"Sakura..." he murmured her name softly as he nuzzled her hair and tilted her face up so their lips met. The kiss they shared was gentle and sweet, lasting for a few seconds, and as they parted Sakura found herself wanting more.

A small part of her felt afraid. She was afraid that just like before, she might be hurt by the one she loved again. And as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she felt ashamed. Syaoran was not those people who hurt her. She had teased him many times, but not once did he try to do anything to her without her consent.

Syaoran noticed something in her expression, and he had a feeling he knew what it was. He had known for a while now that he wanted her, but she hadn't made any sort of move to indicate that she was ready for that-at least, not since the night before he'd been sent into a trap by Kei. But now, there was something in her expression and body language that made him feel that was what was on her mind.

He didn't want to hurt her or do anything she didn't want, so he decided it would be best to simply ask her.

"Syaoran, would you... make love to me?" her face turned a deep shade of red and her heart hammered in her chest as she looked away.

There was an uncomfortable moment of silence in the air, and for a second, she was sure that he wouldn't answer her or that she had asked something wrong. Her worries disappeared when he gently cupped her cheek and nodded.

"Tell me if you want to stop, or if I make you uncomfortable."

Sakura felt relief flood through her body, along with the love she felt toward him. She lifted her eyes to meet his gentle amber gaze; she closed the gap between them, and they locked lips as she threaded her fingers through his hair. He deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding between her lips and into her mouth to dance with hers; as he kissed her, his hand timidly cupped her breast through the thin fabric and he squeezed gently as she arched her back to his touch.

A small, soft moan escaped her throat as he massaged the small mound, and she forced him to stop in favour of peeling his shirt off over his head. Then, she tossed it to the side. Her eyes traced the muscles he had built up over his years of training in martial arts. Syaoran watched her for a moment, wondering if perhaps she didn't want to go any further after all, until she timidly pulled back the blankets and straddled his waist.

She leant in and caught his lips with her own while she ground against him, parting only as another small moan escaped her lips. Syaoran groaned and thrust against her as she smiled against his lips, kissing him again before she pulled back again. Then, she reached between their bodies and undid the buttons on his jeans, sliding her hand in and curling her fingers around his slippery length, feeling it harden in her hand.

In response, Syaoran slid his hands beneath the fabric of her thin night dress and up to her breasts, cupping them eagerly and twerking her nipples as she started moving her hand. Syaoran soon started to feel something building in his abdomen as she moved her hand against his member, and he realised what she intended only in the last moment as he spilled his seed.

He pulled her night dress over her head quickly and flipped her so she was lying on her back and he was above her, kissing her fiercely and passionately. She arched her back, desperate for the warmth of his skin against hers, as his hand slowly traced a path down over her stomach until he reached the waistband of her panties.

Syaoran hesitated at first but gained the courage to slide his fingers in and part her folds, dipping a finger into her hot core. She whimpered and wiggled against him, pressing down on the intruding digit which prompted him to slide another in.

"Is this okay?" he asked softly, worried he may have done something wrong when he heard her whimper.

"Y-Yes," she breathed, "Please keep going."

Hearing her plea, Syaoran watched her face for any signs of discomfort as he stroked her walls, watching as her face distorted in pleasure as he slowly brought her teetering to the edge. Her muscles seized followed by a rush of warm fluid spreading from between her legs as she let out a breathy moan.

"S-Syaoran..." she breathed his name, her eyes glazed with arousal and want for him.

Syaoran removed his hand in favour of peeling down her underwear and tossed them to the side, then slid out of his jeans. He looked to her, unsure if she wanted to go further, and she immediately pulled him in for a kiss as she wrapped her legs around his hips.

"Don't stop," she breathed, "Please,"

He felt her hand wrap around his length again, hardening beneath her touch, and she led him to her hot entrance. He pushed aside her walls almost eagerly but stopped to make sure he wasn't hurting her. Seeing only her love and want for him reflected in her eyes, he continued until he was all the way in.

"Syaoran..."

He set a steady pace to begin with and took note of her reactions to his body, attuning himself to her desires-he sped up when she begged him to and slowed down when she hit stimulation overload. She gasped his name while clutching his body close as he rolled his hips against hers, their bodies covered in a thin sheen of sweat. A groan crawled up his throat and he whispered her name against her ear as he thrust into her.

Sakura could feel something building in her abdomen again, similar to a tight coil winding tighter and tighter with each thrust. Her breathing came in rapid gasps as she buried her face in his neck, until the coil burst and her muscles seized once again, clamping down hard on his member. He gave a few stilted thrusts and Sakura felt something warm coat her womb.

Breathing heavily, he rolled off of her form and continued to hold her close, his breathing ragged and hot against her neck. He nipped at her pulse and licked her skin before sinking his fangs into her neck.

Sakura curled her toes until they dug into the sheets as he drank, pleasure racking her body, and she gazed up at him as he pulled away.

Syaoran rested his forehead against hers, breathing in her flowery scent mixed with sweat.

"Sakura..." he whispered. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," she smiled against his lips and kissed him softly as they caught their breath, the two of them caressing each other as they continued to trade gentle kisses. Soon, her eyes fluttered shut as sleep took over, and he soon followed.

...

Syaoran sat on the couch in his common room with a hot cup of coffee in his hands while he read through a report Eriol had sent him. So far, things seemed to be looking promising-three more cities and five small villages had been liberated. It sounded pathetic in the grand scheme of things, but even so, it was a small victory.

Meanwhile, Akiho and Yuna were discussing different types of tea. As for why or how the topic came about, Syaoran had no idea. His interest was piqued, however, when he heard Sakura's name mentioned.

"-Lady Sakura prefers fruit flavoured teas. I want to make something for her for when she wakes." Akiho said.

"I'm surprised she's not awake yet-this is unusual." Yuna added. "Syaoran, is Lady Sakura alright? Come to think of it, you look exhausted despite it being late morning."

"I just didn't get much sleep last night." Syaoran murmured before sipping his coffee.

"What kept you awake?" the blonde asked.

Syaoran didn't dare to mention it was because of the sex he was having with Sakura. That was private and would stay private.

"I guess it was because of all the sleep I was getting from recovering." He shrugged.

Both Yuna and Akiho looked sceptical. "Hmm...ok then."

He pretended to ignore their suspicious stares, though it was easier said than done, and finished his coffee in silence.

...

Sakura woke to the warm sun on her back and rolled over to find that Syaoran had already woken up. She wasn't surprised, given how late in the day it was, and so she stood and headed for the bath.

After cleaning herself of the sweat that had covered her skin, she got out and dressed herself in a pale pink dress that faded to yellow at the bottom of the skirt. The skirt had four layers that fell from beneath the bust, and a single sleeve covered her shoulder, holding up the garment.

Once she looked respectable, she headed downstairs where she found Syaoran talking with Yuna and Tomoyo. Akiho was busy making hot tea and organising lunch.

She smiled and walked over, "Hello."

Yuna looked up and returned her smile, "Good afternoon. Sleep well?"

"Yes," she replied as she sat down beside Syaoran, "Oh, is this a letter from Eriol?"

She leant over and examined the letter, reading its contents. "That much within three weeks..."

Syaoran nodded. "I hope this will aid us in the future."

"I'm sure it will," Kaito smiled.

"By the way," Sakura said, "How are your magic lessons going, Syaoran?"

"He's a very fast learner." Yuna answered, "He seems to have a talent for it."

Syaoran averted his eyes. "There's still a lot I don't know."

Sakura smiled, "I'm sure you know more than you think, Syaoran."

A knock on the door interrupted their discussion. Dimitreu stepped inside and bowed, "My apologies for the interruption."

"It's alright. We were talking about how Syaoran is a fast learner when it comes to magic." Sakura smiled kindly.

Dimitreu looked at Syaoran who shifted uncomfortably beneath his gaze.

"He is also a fast learner when it comes to his training with me."

Sakura's eyes lit up, "Really? That's wonderful!"

"Yes, but he still needs to work on his ability to wield a knife at close range." Dimitreu answered bluntly.

Syaoran cleared his throat, desperate to take the topic somewhere else. "What brings you here?"

"Ah. Unfortunately, I am unable to train you today-there is something I must attend to." Dimitreu answered. "But please get a few hours of practice in."

Syaoran nodded, "Alright. Thank you for letting me know."

Sakura grinned, "Don't worry Dimitreu-I'll be his sparring partner."

Syaoran looked at her with surprise and her lips curved into a devious smile.

"And I refuse to go easy." She added.

Dimetreu looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded. "I'll leave him in your capable hands."

Sakura kissed Syaoran's cheek, "Don't hold back on me just because you love me."

Syaoran sighed softly. "You'll kick my ass if I even dared."

"Exactly." She smiled, "Akiho, would you mind preparing something for me to eat?"

Akiho's face brightened, "Coming right up!"

Syaoran leant back in his seat and looked up at the roof, wondering how this training session was going to turn out.

* * *

 **Oof, sorry for the late update again. I've been pretty busy, and what writing i have been getting in has been me working on the final remaining chapters. Though, it's all in my notes on my phone lmao.**

 **What do you think of the story so far? As i was reading through this chapter, it made me realise i needed to touch up some stuff in the upcoming chapters haha**

 **I promise i'll try and update the next chapter within the next two weeks. See you then!**


	17. Alyria

**Sorry for the wait-again. I know, I know, i'm terrible. Anyway, this chapter is shorter than usual (sorry). But I think it flows reasonably well.**

* * *

Standing in the training hall, Syaoran waited for Sakura to arrive. He had mixed feelings about their training session; part of him didn't want to fight her in fear of hurting her, but he also knew that was presumptuous and rude. The other part of him was interested in seeing more of her abilities and exactly what she was capable of.

As soon as he heard her footsteps, he turned his gaze over to her to see she was wearing brown leather boots with white tights and a pale pink tunic.

She smiled sweetly, "Have you got your knives?"

"You want me to use my actual knives?" he blurted, but immediately regretted it.

She raised her brow. "Obviously. I told Dimitreu I would take over your training today."

He nodded and turned, but she stopped him.

"I bought an extra pair-ones that won't cut me. I know you're worrying about hurting me." Sakura approached him and held out the sparring knives for him to take. Her eyes glimmered with amusement as she smiled.

He took them from her hands, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Sakura leant up and kissed his cheek. "I forgive you. I'm not going to hold back, so make sure you don't either."

Syaoran nodded. "Okay."

Sakura then put some space between them and turned to face him, taking on her fighting stance, though it looked more like she was about to begin a dance-and a deadly one at that. Syaoran wasn't familiar with her formation, as the martial arts he knew, he had learned from his father, and Dimetrius moved in similar yet different ways to him.

As he readied himself, he examined Sakura's stance, hoping an opening would be available to him, only to discover she was well protected. Sakura made the first move. She ran towards him and he immediately moved to block her strike that was coming from above, which was quickly followed by her foot flying past his nose. She danced away just as quickly, her footsteps light on the ground, and then she moved in again. Syaoran couldn't predict her movements-the way she fought was more of a dance, and he had never been very good at dancing. Therefore, he needed to sense it instead.

Sakura dealt a swift kick to his ribs and then raised her brow. "Syaoran?"

"Yes?" he coughed.

"You're holding back."

"No, I underestimated you." he confessed.

Sakura laughed, "Why?"

"I guess I just never imagined that someone with such a petite body could have such strength." Syaoran murmured, feeling ashamed of his unintended rudeness.

She noticed he was still holding his ribs and made a mental note to reduce the power behind her attacks. He might be well enough to train, but he had been seriously wounded with a hunter's weapon. Wounds like that didn't heal easily.

He looked at her with a furrowed brow. "Sakura?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking to myself." She replied as she met his gaze.

"I didn't mean to upset you." He said, "I'm sorry."

Sakura shrugged, "You've learned your lesson. I see no reason to dwell on it. More importantly-it's likely you'll have to fight people like me, so don't underestimate your opponent, even if they're a child."

Syaoran nodded. She had a very valid point and he couldn't let things like looks deceive him.

"Right. Let's get back to training, shall we?" Sakura smiled.

...

Syaoran lay in bed with Sakura's head resting against his bare chest. They were both recovering from their passionate love making, Sakura holding onto him tightly as they lay together. Their training session earlier in the day had been very intense-while she had taken care to hold back some of her strength, she still hadn't gone easy on him. Thankfully, Syaoran was a fast learner and he was able to adapt. She had no doubts that he would be a formidable opponent in the war.

Syaoran nuzzled her hair and kissed her temple. "What are you thinking about?" he murmured.

"The war... and the fight to come."

He raised his brow. "Oh?"

"Syaoran, what will we do when this war is over?" she asked softly.

Syaoran shrugged. He hadn't really thought about it, his mind too focussed on other matters, but he wondered why she had brought up the subject so suddenly.

"I don't know. Perhaps we can just find somewhere to live peacefully."

She smiled, "I'd like that."

He nuzzled her cheek and kissed her softly. "Me too."

"Kids would be nice, too." Sakura added. "I'd like to get married first, though."

Syaoran smiled, "Maybe that's something we can think about when this all ends."

Sakura felt tears of happiness swell up in her eyes as she smiled. "I'd like that."

She snuggled against him as she started to feel her eyelids grow heavy, and she soon fell into a deep slumber. Syaoran, however, remained awake as he held her. He wished he knew of a way to end the war quickly, but knew it was unlikely to happen unless he found out some unknown miracle method. Syaoran laughed silently at the thought. If only it were _that_ easy.

...

Alyria was a very diverse city with many different beings dwelling within, and in the centre stood a large stone castle. The leaders of the various tribes gathered there every four months for seven days to discuss needs and politics, and during the times that the leaders were each ruling over their people, they had emissaries watch over Alyria and carry messages in their stead.

While riding up to the castle with his council and fellow blue bloods, Syaoran observed his surroundings as he passed. He saw a wide variety of creatures he knew from fairy tales and folklore-big creatures and small creatures; human-like creatures and strange creatures. He was relieved that he had read up on a lot of them in the weeks beforehand, so it wasn't a total shock. Some of them, though, he didn't recognise, however he assumed that was only natural. Like in the human realm, it would be difficult to remember or recognise every single species on the planet.

He looked over at Sakura who was riding beside him, and noticing his gaze, she smiled at him. They were headed to the castle to meet with the emissaries and warn them of the coming threat in the hopes it would give them time to prepare a counterattack strategy-at least, they hoped they would form a counterattack strategy. It was entirely possible they would just dump them in the dirt without a second thought.

Upon reaching the gate, one of the two gargoyles guarding it sprang to life before them.

"We have been expecting you." It spoke in its low voice. "Welcome."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled kindly in response.

The gargoyles returned to stone once they passed through the gates. Syaoran tried not to stare at the gargoyles but couldn't help glancing back over his shoulder for a second or two. Sakura smiled in amusement; she had forgotten that he was not used to stone statues springing go life.

Once they reached the courtyard out the front of the castle and dismounted, Sakura turned to Akiho and gave her instructions to take the furies to the stables. Then, she turned back to Syaoran with a small smile.

"Shall we head inside?" she asked.

Syaoran nodded. "Should I expect anything?"

Sakura looked thoughtful. "Nothing apart from what you're already been bracing yourself for."

Syaoran sighed and nodded, then started walking up the steps with her and the others following behind. A pair of guards opened the doors to allow them to enter, and waiting inside was someone Syaoran did not expect to see.

"Hello Syaoran." His father greeted with a smile.

Syaoran's brow rose with surprise. "Dad-I thought you were out searching for people to help us?"

"I was. They'll be joining us in time for the fight." Syaoron answered.

Syaoran just nodded.

"I have briefed all of the emissaries on the current issue, and so they have already sent word to their leaders. Syaoran, you should come and meet them as you are currently leading the vampire kingdom." Syaoron added.

Syaoran glanced over his shoulder to see that those who had followed him to the castle had dispersed to go and do as they wish, leaving him with Sakura and their retainers.

"Okay." He agreed nervously.

They headed further into the castle with Syaoron leading them-thankfully, it wasn't a long walk, but Syaoran was very aware of the different creatures around him. A few pixies carrying letters flew by, while several elves gracefully sauntered down the hall to their right. He spotted a pair of Sylphs tending to the pot plants with a couple of water sprites out in one of the courtyards.

Sakura smiled, "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

Syaoran sighed, "Yeah. I don't know if I'll ever get used to this."

They came to a stop in front of a large door, which Syaoron pushed open gently, only to hear what sounded like laughter come to an abrupt stop.

"Forgive us for the disruption," Syaoron spoke, "My son, Syaoran, has arrived to meet you."

Syaoran immediately felt multiple pairs of eyes on him. He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Thank you for receiving our people, and for allowing time to greet me."

"Hmm... He's a bit green compared to Kei, but if the lunar twins have entrusted him with their sacred treasure, then he must be outstanding in his own right." A melodic voice sounded.

Syaoran turned his head toward the voice and spotted an elegantly dressed fae examining him. She was very small-only a few inches tall, and her wings shimmered in the light.

"So, this is the new leader of the vampires, hm? You're pretty cute." Another female voice sounded from his right.

Sakura stepped in front of Syaoran protectively. "Keep your claws off him, _succubus_." She snarled.

The succubus raised her brow and smiled, "Yes ma'am."

A tall elvish man approached and nodded his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard tales of your bravery."

"Thank you." Syaoran replied awkwardly, his eyes darting between Sakura and the succubus.

"We shouldn't waste time with the formalities right now-we can all get to know each other later." A soft, yet powerful voice spoke.

Syaoran turned his head to meet the silver eyes of a woman clad in white and lavender.

"We haven't much time to prepare for what approaches. We must discuss intel and figure out the best course of action." She spoke.

"Once our respective leaders arrive, of course." The elf spoke, "They will not be here for a while, so until then, I'm afraid we cannot do much else."

Syaoran nodded. "Thank you. I understand."

"Please enjoy what the city has to offer until then. I'm afraid there's nothing we emissaries can really do pertaining to this matter anymore." The fae spoke.

"I wish to thank you all for being kind enough to relay our message to your leaders." Syaoran added.

"Unfortunately, we had no choice. An army of vampires and hunters are going to attack this city without a thought as to who live here. Everyone is in danger. It is no longer your fight alone." The woman in white spoke.

"You're right, and I'm deeply sorry it has come to this." Syaoran's father spoke. His voice was lined heavily with sadness and guilt and didn't go unnoticed by Sakura or Syaoran.

"We will send for you when our leaders have arrived. Please wait until then." The elf spoke kindly.

Recognising that they had been dismissed, Syaoran nodded once again. "Thank you all. We will leave you in peace, now."

Then, he turned and left with Sakura at his side.

...

Later that night while they were eating, Sakura did not fail to notice that Syaoran seemed even more distracted than usual. She did not know if it was because of the meeting with the emissaries-which wasn't very eventful at all-or if it was something else, but regardless, she worried for him. She had seen him go into similar states of mind before-once before when he had been given the task to rescue the lunar twins, and again before he had been sent into the trap by Kei.

"Syaoran, what's bothering you?" she finally decided to ask.

Syaoran snapped out of his daze and met Sakura's gaze. He grimaced. "Dad always told me I was too obvious."

She gave him a soft smile. "Is it the meeting with the leaders?"

He shook his head side to side, surprising her.

"I'm worried about what will happen to the residents when the hunters and the traitors attack." He confessed.

Sakura stood and walked around to him. Gently, she cupped his face before she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a hug.

"You're too kind." She whispered. "Don't ever change..."

Syaoran returned her hug and relaxed in her embrace, breathing in the smell of her perfume. War frightened him, but what frightened him more than anything else was the possibility of losing someone he deeply cared about. He hated not knowing when the attack would come, but he hated not knowing the final result more. For now, all he could do was search for a way to defeat the hunters, and to destroy Kei, once and for all.

* * *

 **Review?**

 **I'm typing up and editing the next few chapters tonight, so it will only be a matter of me remembering to pull out my phone and click update ahaha. Again, thank you for your patience and for following Prophecy, you're all amazing!**


	18. The Calm Before The Storm

**Hi everyone, thanks for the wait. This chapter is quite long, just a warning.**

* * *

Syaoran had lost count of the number of hours he had spent sitting in the meeting with the other Night World leaders, all of whom were bickering amongst themselves. He was tired, hungry and pissed off. He hadn't waited three months to meet the leaders only to have them bicker about the situation. A knock on the wooden doors disrupted the fighting. All heads turned to the door where a messenger flew in and over to Syaoran.

"A messenger has arrived with an important message-they await your presence back at your castle." The pixie spoke.

Syaoran nodded, "Thank you."

The pixie flew off and Syaoran turned his focus back to the leaders in front.

"I beg of you-please, if you have any information on how I can save my people, then please help us." He pleaded.

"We will give you an answer in three days." Titania, queen of the fairies, spoke.

Syaoran nodded. At least that was _something._ "Thank you."

"We won't be helping." The elvish king spoke. "We haven't been part of a war in over three thousand years. I intend to keep it that way."

Murmurs of agreement surrounded the halls as everyone moved to leave, and Syaoran sighed with disappointment. He stood and left the now empty hall, walking swiftly through the corridors and out of the castle. While he didn't get the outcome he had been hoping for, Syaoran knew it was just something he had to accept for the moment. After all, he had his people to think about as well-he couldn't sit in a room of bickering people all day when he had other, more important things he could better spend his time doing. But, as he walked back to the castle, Syaoran noticed another strange marking on the ground that looked exactly like the one he had seen in the city centre a while back. Thinking nothing of it, he made haste.

As soon as he entered the gates of the castle, a guard immediately approached him. "Lord Eriol awaits you, sir."

Syaoran nodded, "Thank you. Where is he?"

"I believe he was headed to meet your father." The soldier answered.

Syaoran nodded again and then headed off in search of his father and Eriol, deciding to check the blacksmiths first. He remembered his father mentioning the need to check on something earlier that morning before he'd left.

He approached the forge where his father was in deep conversation with Eriol. They both noticed Syaoran approaching and turned their attention to him.

"Syaoran, you're finally back." His father spoke.

"Yes. The bloody leaders wouldn't stop bickering long enough for us to reach a proper consensus." Syaoran growled. "What news?"

"I just finished telling Lord Syaoron of our recent recruits." Eriol explained. "Most are survivors who wish to take back their homes."

Syaoran nodded. "How many did you bring?"

"Eight hundred."

"Do we know how many the enemy have?" he asked.

"Nearly three thousand." Syaoron replied, "I have called for more back up as well. But we still need to figure out a way to defeat them for good, if we wish to stop this war."

"Trust me, I'm working on it." Syaoran growled. "Who is the backup you called?"

Syaoron smiled at his son. "They should be here soon. You'll find out then."

Syaoran just rolled his eyes. "Alright."

"The reason I needed to see you urgently, however, is because the enemy are on the move. I don't know how long it will take them to get here, but it shan't be long now." Eriol added. "It's earlier than we anticipated-my guess would be that they somehow managed to get their preparations done faster than they thought."

"Fuck." Syaoran cursed. "Just what we need."

"My thoughts exactly." Eriol murmured.

Syaoran sighed heavily and turned to leave.

"Headed to the library again?" Syaoron asked.

"No, I need to rest and clear my head before tonight's training." He growled.

Eriol looked to Syaoron and shrugged. "We can't blame him for feeling pissed off."

Syaoron just sighed as he watched his son disappear inside the castle. He was concerned for his wellbeing-he knew he was stressed and he certainly did not blame him for feeling that way. But he also understood that it was worse for him, as he had come from a peaceful environment in the human realm, only to be plunged into a world of war and blood. That would be a shock to anyone's system.

"Sir?" Eriol murmured.

"Keep an eye on him for me." Syaoron murmured as he turned and headed off.

...

"Syaoran!"

A loud thud sounded, and Syaoran groaned as pain shot down his back. As he regained his surroundings, Syaoran realised that Sakura had tackled him to the ground when he had entered the common room. She seemed excited to see him and he was glad she was in a good mood.

"You were that desperate to see me?" he laughed.

"Can you blame me? You're either practicing magic or at your lessons with Dimitreu, _or_ in the library searching for anything that could help us in the war." She pouted. "I miss you."

Syaoran hadn't realised he had made her lonely. He had never intended for her to feel that way, and while his lessons and searching for ways to defeat their enemy as well as their business with the Night World Leaders were important, she was more important to him.

The two of them stood. Syaoran immediately pulled her into a tight hug, surprising Sakura, and she smiled.

"You've been working way too hard these last three months, Syaoran." She said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for you to feel lonely." He apologised.

"I know." She leant up and kissed his cheek, "Now, come and sit."

Sakura pulled him over to the couch to sit down as Akiho walked in carrying a tray with cups of hot tea.

"Here," she smiled, "As you requested, my lady."

"Thank you, Akiho." Sakura replied.

Syaoran felt like there was something amiss, but he wasn't sure if he should ask or leave it be.

"Judging from your bad mood, I'm guessing the meeting didn't go too well." Sakura spoke.

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "No kidding."

"What did they say?" she asked.

He sighed. "They argued for god knows how long, and then decided they'd think about it."

"Oh." Sakura raised her brow. "How helpful."

"Yeah." He lifted his teacup and sipped his tea. "How is the preparation for the medics?"

She smiled. "You'll be pleased to hear that we are ready when needed."

Syaoran at least felt some relief hearing that and felt himself relax. "I'm glad."

"I knew you would be." She said, "I can't wait for this to be _over..."_

"That makes two of us." He agreed with a smile. "But... what will happen when it's over?"

Sakura looked at him with confusion, so he elaborated.

"My purpose as the leader will be done. Can I just go back to living a relatively normal life with you, or do I have to continue being their beacon of hope?" he murmured.

Sakura did not miss the hint of bitterness in his tone, and she put her teacup down and snuggled into his side. She wanted to be able to give him the answer he was looking for, but she didn't know either.

"I wish it were that easy to know." She spoke softly, "But, regardless, I'll be there at your side."

Syaoran leant his head against hers and closed his eyes. He felt comforted by her words, knowing she would stand by him regardless of what happened. And with that comfort, he drifted into sleep to get some much-needed rest he had been neglecting for so long.

He woke a few hours later to the sound of chatting. It took Syaoran a few moments to figure out who it was, and he soon picked Eriol's voice and Tomoyo's voice out.

"Do you really think it's possible that it could work? No one has had to use that spell in thousands of years." Tomoyo murmured.

"All of the ten are alive," Sakura spoke, "It could work."

"It's a risk, but if it works then the war will end." Eriol added, "We're already bordering on extinction. I think it's a risk we should take."

"But don't you think it's unethical? The spell literally wipes out the entire enemy across the globe!" Akiho added.

"That's true…but if we let this continue any further…" Tomoyo murmured.

"There is no hope of a peaceful relationship with them. We have exhausted every single method trying to end this war… This spell was created purely as a last resort-that's why there's so many complications with it, and why so few can use it." Eriol spoke.

Sakura looked down and noticed Syaoran was awake. She smiled as he sat up, and he realised that at some point he must have shifted to lie in her lap-or maybe she was the one who had shifted.

"Sleep well?" Eriol laughed and Syaoran shot him a glare.

"What were you just talking about? A risk that could end the war?" Syaoran asked.

"You heard that?" Tomoyo asked.

He nodded.

"It's an ancient spell." Sakura began, "It was created so that we could preserve our race, back when our ancestors faced a similar situation to our current one now."

"What does this spell do?" Syaoran asked with a small frown.

"It annihilates anyone who is deemed our enemy." Eriol explained, "But it can only be used under certain circumstances."

Syaoran looked at the time and realised he was supposed to be meeting Dimitreu for his training.

"Sakura, will you tell me more about this later? I have to meet Dimitreu."

Sakura nodded, "Of course."

Syaoran smiled, "Thank you."

He left the room and Sakura stood. Tomoyo raised her brow.

"You're going to watch him train?"

"Of course, I am." Sakura smiled widely, "It's always fascinating watching him."

"For you, maybe." Eriol snorted, earning himself a whack by Tomoyo.

"Tomoyo, do you want to come?" Sakura asked.

"Sure," Tomoyo smiled.

"Eriol, would you mind letting the others know where I am? I don't want them to worry." Sakura asked.

Eriol nodded and smiled kindly. "Of course."

"Thank you!" Sakura grinned, and then left the room with Tomoyo.

Dimitreu looked up when Syaoran arrived and raised his brow. "You're late. That's not like you."

"Sorry, I fell asleep." Syaoran confessed.

Dimitreu eyed him for a moment. "Working hard is admirable, but when you overexert yourself, you worry those who care for you. If you can't be there when it counts the most then all of your efforts will have been in vain." He spoke.

Syaoran lowered his eyes. "Have I really been that bad lately?"

"Yes." Dimitreu answered bluntly.

Syaoran just sighed and nodded.

"Let's get on with today's training, shall we? Inga is here to help today." Dimitreu switched topics.

Syaoran moved into position to start, paying full attention to his surroundings. Lately, Inga had been helping Dimitreu with his training a lot. She had been a big help as she was difficult to sense as well as follow in terms of her movement and style, so she was always full of surprises. During the last three months, Syaoran had quickly learned to adapt to his surroundings while remaining steady on his feet. He was quick on his feet, always ready for any kind of attack, and he was quick to assess the situation and come up with a solution. His most efficient weapon was his mind.

Asides from learning how to use a gun and wield a knife, Syaoran had very quickly mastered his magic and now wielded it as if he had done so his entire life. Combining that with his other skills, Syaoran was a very dangerous opponent and not someone anyone would want to face in battle.

"Does he know, yet?" Tomoyo asked Sakura. They were sitting on the seats at the edge of the training hall while they watched.

"He doesn't." Sakura said, "I'll... tell him tonight."

"How do you think he'll take it?"

Sakura watched as Syaoran blocked Inga's sword and she sighed softly. "Honestly, I don't know. He's had so much pressure placed on his shoulders..."

Tomoyo smiled at her lifelong best friend. "Syaoran will be fine with you at his side."

Sakura felt herself smile, "Thanks Tomoyo."

They both returned to watching Syaoran spar with his mentors.

"I don't envy anyone who has to fight him." Tomoyo murmured, making Sakura laugh.

"He's certainly not the same helpless man I met all those months back." She smiled, "I'm proud of him."

"I'm really happy for you, Sakura. He's really good for you." Tomoyo added, "You deserve to have him by your side."

Sakura blushed and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Tomoyo linked their arms together and continued to smile as they watched the young man train.

...

By the time Syaoran had finished discussing military matters with his father, it was nearing midnight. He made his way back to his chambers through the silent halls-everyone was either in bed or in their rooms relaxing.

Syaoran had gotten used to his late nights, but he still wasn't used to being a leader. In fact, he hated being a leader-there was so much expectation placed on his shoulders as the child of prophecy, and being a leader only added even more expectations on top of that. His hope was that once the war came to an end, he could have a quiet life. However, he also knew that was wishful thinking.

He opened the door to his common room and closed it behind him, heading straight for the stairs to his room. He hoped Sakura was still awake-talking with her helped take his mind off the things happening, things he'd rather not think about.

Syaoran pushed open the door to see Sakura was wearing her bathrobe while sitting on the bed. It looked like she had just gotten out of the bath and was in the process of getting changed.

She looked up and smiled. "You look exhausted."

Syaoran returned her smile as he gently shut the door and walked over to her, pulling her into a hug.

"I _am_ exhausted." He replied.

Sakura gently cupped his cheek and examined his face before smiled sympathetically. "Anything I can do to help?"

Syaoran leant in and kissed her. As they parted, she smiled against his lips knowingly before kissing him hard. Syaoran licked her bottom lip in plea for entry which she immediately granted him. His tongue slid past her lips and into her sweet cavern, enticing her tongue to dance with his. Her hands slid beneath his shirt and up his back, while his slid inside her robe to cup her breast.

They parted breathless. Sakura peeled Syaoran's shirt off over his head and dropped it on the floor as he slid her robe off her shoulders; he pulled her in for another kiss while she fumbled with his belt buckle and the buttons of his jeans, parting to finish the job himself.

Their eyes met, reflecting their love and desire for each other.

Syaoran gently wrapped his arms around her frame and lifted her onto the bed, resting his forehead against hers for a moment as he caught his breath.

"Syaoran..." she whispered his name as she cupped his cheek, making him smile.

"I love you." He spoke softly, making her smile warmly.

Once again, they shared a breathtaking kiss. Syaoran cupped Sakura's breast again, squeezing and massaging the mound beneath his fingers while she moaned his name softly and threaded her fingers through his hair.

Slowly, his hand trailed down over her stomach and between her legs, cupping her heat as he dipped one, then two fingers into her hot core.

Another moan slipped past her lips as he rubbed her walls; she bucked her hips and arched her neck and cried out when he pressed his thumb against her clit. Chest heaving, Sakura pulled him in for another fierce kiss while her hand slid between their bodies to cup his slippery length. He hissed in pleasure as she parted.

"I want you," she breathed as she led him to her entrance.

Syaoran smiled and obliged her, pushing his hardened member into her core.

"Sakura," he breathed her name and she smiled lovingly at him, small tears of happiness threatening to spill from the corners of her eyes.

He kissed them away and cupped her cheek briefly before he started moving his hips. Sakura clutched his body against hers, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts. She begged him to go faster, and he slowed when she reached stimulation overload. She moaned his name and mewled in bliss as he met her needs.

Syaoran shifted his hips slightly, and in doing so he started to strike something deep within her. Sakura moaned and whispered in pleasure as she started to feel pressure building in her abdomen, similar to a coil winding tighter and tighter.

"Harder," she begged him.

Syaoran smiled against her ear and obliged her request. The coil grew tighter and tighter with each thrust, bringing her closer to the edge. Finally, the coil burst, sending her plunging over the edge. All the muscles in her body seized and her walls clamped down on his member like a vice, bringing him over the edge with her.

Not wanting to crush her beneath his weight, Syaoran rolled off her, bringing her with him. They lay in each other's arms catching their breath, sharing sweet kisses and caresses with each other as they recovered. Sakura brushed her lips against his neck and nipped his pulse, pulling a way to admire the mark she'd left.

"Sakura..." he murmured her name softly and she smiled.

"You never cease to amaze me." She spoke cheekily.

Syaoran raised his brow, "With what?"

Sakura shifted her body so that she was on top of him, then pressed her lips against his.

"You always take so much care with putting my pleasure before your own." She smiled, "So let me do the same for you."

Syaoran returned her smile, "I do it because I want you to enjoy it."

"I know." Sakura giggled, "And you do a good job of it, too."

"I'm glad to hear that." He said before kissing her. "You're planning something." He added.

She gave him a sly smile. "Maybe."

Then, she rolled off to lay by his side, "For now, though, I think sleep is in order for both of us."

Syaoran pulled her closer against his frame and smiled. "Sleep well."

...

Sakura woke before Syaoran, which was unusual. Usually, she ended up sleeping in while he was usually awake sometime just after dawn. It made her realise just how exhausted he was. She propped herself up on her elbow and examined his features, eyeing the line of his jaw and his cheekbones, then his long lashes. She smiled softly as she brushed a few loose strands of hair from his eyes as he slept.

While she watched him, her mind strayed to the conversations from the prior day. She had so much she needed to tell him, yet she feared it would only cause him more worry and anxiety. She knew he hated being their leader, and yet he still gave it everything he had, if not more. It was one of his many traits she loved about him.

Kei on the other hand ruled through fear, and that could only get him so far. Their people weren't loyal to him out of trust, and that would be his own downfall when the time came. After all, how could he expect people who feared and loathed him to come to their aid in a dire time of need? It was no wonder people searched for hope in the Child of Prophecy-in Syaoran-and he gave that to them along with his compassion.

A small smile appeared on Syaoran's lips. "How long have you been watching me sleep?"

Sakura blushed, feeling a little embarrassed that she'd been caught. "Um... not long?"

Syaoran chuckled as he opened his eyes to see her pink cheeks. After a moment, Sakura smiled and opted to lie back down beside him.

"What were you thinking about?" He asked softly.

"A bit of everything, I suppose." She replied, "After breakfast, there are some things I need to tell you."

He furrowed his brow, "It sounds important."

She nodded, "It is."

"Should I be worried?"

"No, I don't think so...well, I guess that depends on how you feel about the news." She replied.

"Alright." He smiled, "I'll listen to what you have to say."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled gratefully.

The two forced themselves out of bed to get dressed despite wanting to relax for a while longer, but duty called, and duty would be heeded. Sakura dressed herself in a white floor length dress with platinum trim and spaghetti straps, while Syaoran pulled on jeans and a forest green t shirt before heading down the stairs to make their way to the dining hall. The first thing Syaoran noticed when he got there was the others sitting at the table, most of them chatting away while they had been waiting. Syaoron greeted the pair with a smile as they sat down.

"It's not often it's all of us at the table like this." Sakura smiled, "Usually most of us are busy, and when Kei was around he didn't let anyone except for me or any other blue bloods sit at the table with him."

"Honestly, I'm glad he's not in control here anymore." Tomoyo spoke, "Despite our current predicament, the mood has lifted dramatically since Syaoran took over."

"It has. It's nice to see everyone smiling for once." Akiho agreed.

Sakura nodded, "Yes. I couldn't agree more."

Syaoran smiled. At least he'd been useful for _something_.

"I wonder what we're having for breakfast today," Akiho said, "Perhaps omelettes? Or maybe some refreshing fruit salad?"

"I believe it's both." Yuna replied.

Akiho blushed as her meal was placed in front of her. Sakura looked at Syaoran with a smile and he returned it with one of his own before getting distracted by Eriol.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Syaoron spoke softly to Sakura.

Sakura turned her head to meet his gaze, finding only kindness and warmth in his amber eyes. She nodded, knowing it was useless to hide it from him.

"He'll be fine. He has you at his side." He smiled.

"Thank you, but... I still worry."

"I know." Syaoron smiled sympathetically, knowing exactly what Sakura was like. But it was because he knew what she was like, that he also knew Syaoran would be fine. He would not make a stupid decision with Sakura at his side.

Everyone immersed themselves in chatter over breakfast-there was laughter and the occasional playful argument. But that all died down when the table was cleared. Things became silent and there was an air of seriousness amongst them.

"Sakura, would you like to start?" Syaoron asked.

Sakura nodded and turned her gaze to Syaoran. "Syaoran, do you remember when I told you about the ten deadliest, or most powerful, vampires?"

He nodded, "Yes."

"Well...what I didn't tell you was that we are given the titles of keepers-and the term 'most powerful' doesn't necessarily just refer to raw power." She explained.

Syaoran furrowed his brow, "Alright...why didn't you tell me that in the first place?"

"Honestly, I didn't see the point at the time, but recent events have made us realise we need to tell you everything." She confessed.

"In other words, as keepers it is our job to ensure stability among our people. We have the most political power, even over blue bloods. Though...that changed when the war got too out of hand." Akiho added.

"As our numbers dropped, everyone started to blame the keepers for not doing something sooner. And honestly... I don't blame them." Syaoron spoke.

"So, then it fell to the remaining blue bloods, and the one who stepped up to take the lead." Tomoyo murmured.

Syaoran frowned. "How are the Keepers chosen?"

"Like I said, it depends on how powerful you are." Sakura replied. "However, you also have to have a natural ability to lead as well as compassion. The deciding factor, however, is the mark of the gods."

Syaoron watched his son carefully for any reaction but was surprised when all Syaoran did was nod.

"Before there was only nine, correct?" he asked, and when Sakura nodded, he added, "Am I to assume that I am the last?"

"Yes."

There was a moment of silence as Syaoran seemed to be staring at the table in front of him, deep in thought. Sakura looked to Syaoron who offered a reassuring smile and then looked back to Syaoran.

"Very well. But why bring this up now?" he asked.

"Because there just might be a way for us to win this war." Eriol answered. "There is an ancient spell that can only be cast by the Keepers that annihilates the enemy."

Syaoran raised his brow. "If that's the case, why wasn't it used sooner?"

"Because it needs all of the keepers." Syaoron spoke. "And we haven't had the keepers together in a long time."

"Have you always known that I was a Keeper?" Syaoran asked quietly.

Syaoron nodded. "I knew the day you were born."

"What does the mark look like?" Syaoran frowned. As far as he knew, he didn't have any unusual marks on him.

Sakura reached out to take his right hand and turned it, so his palm was facing up. She gently rubbed her thumb over his wrist and smiled softly.

"Look closely. You should see a small gold star."

Syaoran did as she instructed and focused on his wrist, and sure enough a gold star appeared. He stared at it for a long moment, thinking hard about something again.

"Why didn't you think of the spell sooner?" he asked, "You could have ended it ages ago."

Sakura shook her head. "You didn't have the training needed for magic, but you've mastered it now." She said, "It's also a dangerous spell-if something we're to go wrong, I don't know what would happen. So... this is a last resort."

Syaoran sighed and nodded, accepting her answer. He guessed from their conversation the previous day, that this was the spell that they had been referring to. At the time, he was too tired to make much sense of their words, but now it all clicked.

"How does it work?" he asked.

"Throughout Alyria, there are pillars with markings on them. Surrounding the pillars are more markings, and when we pour our magic and intent into them, they connect and amplify the energy into a large-scale attack, only destroying that which we deem the enemy." Syaoron explained. "The issue we face is being able to coordinate it without any issues occurring."

"If we can signal each other on when to start casting, then we should be okay." Sakura spoke.

"We just need our forces to keep the enemies at bay." Eriol added.

"We don't have enough." Tomoyo said, "We'll need help from the other leaders."

"I'll go with Syaoran tomorrow to talk with them." Sakura said. "Maybe we can persuade them."

"I hope so." Syaoran murmured.

"So, is this our plan of action?" Eriol asked.

"We don't have any other choice." Syaoran replied, "If there is a possibility that we can end the war, then we must take it."

"You're correct!" A familiar voice sounded.

Everyone turned their heads to see Luna and Artemis at the door.

"And in order to carry out your plan, you'll need us." Luna added.

"We have also bought with us some more people who wish to fight." Artemis said, "Including the women you set free a while back."

Syaoran's eyes widened. "They're here?"

"Indeed. It seems they have a vendetta to settle." Luna replied.

"This is good news," Sakura smiled, "The more help we have, the better."

"You're right." Syaoron agreed. "The enemy draws closer with each passing day-we need to be ready for when the time arrives."

Syaoran nodded. "I'll leave military matters to you. Everyone needs to be alerted to stay on guard."

Everyone stood, recognising the meeting had been called to a finish, and moved to leave the hall. Sakura grabbed Syaoran's hand before he could move away and she smiled at him.

"Come with me," she said, and pulled him along behind her.

Syaoran was on the verge of asking where they were going before he realised they were headed to their secret spot in the garden. Sakura sat down on the lush green grass and he joined her, looking at Sakura with some confusion.

"Why did you bring me here?" he asked.

"It looked like you needed the space. You've been working yourself so much, and I know the information about the spell was a lot to process..." Sakura confessed.

It was in that moment that Syaoran realised just how much Sakura had been watching him and worrying for him.

He smiled gently, "Thank you, Sakura."

She returned his smile and moved to lie down on the grass, with Syaoran lying down next to her. Sakura smiled sadly as she looked up at the blue sky.

"It's scary to think about the upcoming fight. I'm scared of losing more people I love."

Syaoran turned his head to look at her. It was easy to forget that Sakura had already lost so much to this war. He remembered how Tomoyo had told him that Sakura had cut herself off from the world until she had met him, and it scared him to think that she would be hurt once again. That he could die.

"Sakura, I..." he trailed off, unsure how to respond.

He couldn't tell her that he wouldn't die-it was a promise he couldn't make because he did not know if he could keep it. With war came the loss of loved ones.

She turned her head to meet his gaze. "I know you can't make a promise you might not be able to keep. It's ok."

"I'm sorry." He apologised.

She shook her head. "This is war. I've accepted that."

"It doesn't make it any easier." He said softly.

"It doesn't." She smiled sadly. "Let's just try our best to live."

Syaoran smiled. "Yes."


	19. Rain

**Hi everyone, I've finally finished typing up all of the chapters on my computer. There will be a total of 21 chapters. As I was reading through and editing the chapters, the pacing felt appropriate for what I was trying to achieve, but if you think I could have elaborated more on something or if you think of what i could to do improve my writing, feel free to let me know :) I'll only bite if i'm insulted (As in, called a "Stupid seven year old" as i once got told)**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

"The hunters and traitors will attack Alyria in two days from now." Artemis told the leaders at the table. "This is no longer _just_ a war against vampires. The hunters and traitors intend to take complete control over the Night World."

Silence filled the room as the leaders all looked at each other. Syaoran sat to her left, trying hard not to let his impatience show. Worse was that he had told them that the war was no longer against the vampire race alone, and they hadn't listened to him.

"They wouldn't be coming here if you hadn't come here in the first place!" The dwarfish leader growled.

"Are you _deaf_?" Artemis growled, "I just said they intend to take over _the entire world_!"

"Artemis's dreams of the future have always come to pass. If we don't do something to protect our world, it will most definitely be plunged into chaos." Titania spoke.

Murmurs of agreement spread across the room. Syaoran wanted to laugh. Not because of amusement, but because of his disbelief that they could change their minds about something he had been trying to convince them about for god knows how long, at a single word from Artemis and Luna. Perhaps its was naïve of him to think that they would trust him-someone who barely understood the customs of the Night World and its people. After all, he had only been in the Night World for a year compared to everyone else's entire lives.

"We already have a plan to defeat the enemy." Luna continued, "It requires the Ten."

"You can't possibly be talking about THAT spell?" The elvish king spoke with horror.

"It's our only option to end this war." Artemis answered. "This war has been going on for far too long-we have exhausted all other options. It is our duty to our race to end this."

Looking around, the fairy queen sighed softly. "All those in favour of assisting the Vampire race, raise your hand."

Syaoran watched as many hands rose-it was easy to see that more than half of the room was in favour, which was extremely surprising considering that the same leaders didn't want to help him at all a few days ago.

Titania nodded, "The vote seems rather obvious. We will help in any way we can."

Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you."

...

Sakura stood from her seat as soon as Syaoran walked through the door of the common room. It seemed that everyone had been waiting with bated breath, wondering about the outcome of the meeting.

"Well?" Sakura prompted when Syaoran didn't say anything.

Syaoran nodded, "They've agreed to aid us in the war."

Shouts of triumph sounded in the room.

"What changed their minds?" Akiho wondered aloud.

"That's a good question..." Syaoran murmured irritably.

"It would have been Artemis and Luna, I'm sure of it." Sakura smiled, "The other leaders value their wisdom and have no reason to question Artemis's dream. Artemis has helped them avoid calamities before."

"Regardless, it's still great to know we'll have back up." Eriol replied, "So, what do we do now? Do they know the plan?"

Syaoran nodded. "They know everything. Dad is briefing the soldiers and we will go ahead as we have planned."

"So... What do we do in the meantime?" Tomoyo asked.

"All we can do for now is wait." Sakura replied.

Syaoran smiled. "Sakura is right."

"It's going to be torture waiting." Tomoyo sighed, "I guess there are some things I'd like to get out of the way in case..."

No one finished the end of Tomoyo's sentence. They didn't want to say it, but they knew it was possible-it was possible that some of them could die in the coming battle. Death was inevitable in war, as they already knew, but knowing that didn't make it any easier. If anything, it made it harder to cope with.

Sakura looked over at Syaoran, and though it wasn't evident to the others, she could tell that something troubled him. She watched as he touched the small bottle hanging around his neck and as he turned to leave, she followed him out onto the balcony.

"Syaoran?" she called his name softly as she approached him, coming to a stop at his side.

He stared down at the courtyard that was bathed in twilight for a long moment and sighed softly.

"Sorry," he murmured, "I just... I'm afraid."

Sakura placed her hand over his. "Don't be sorry. Everyone is afraid. Even me..."

Syaoran smiled. "I want to ask you to stay away from the fight-to run away to safety-but that's selfish of me. I can't ask that of you. It's just as much your fight as everyone else's. I have no right to ask that of you."

She squeezed his hand. Truthfully, she wanted him to stay away despite the face that he was needed as one of the ten-he should never have been forced into their world-into their war. But he was their leader now and deserting his people would cause great harm to morale.

"I promise I will do everything in my power to return to your side." Sakura spoke firmly.

Syaoran turned his head to meet her gaze. "And I promise the same."

She leant into his arms and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Let's just make the most of what little time we have, ok?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair. "Okay."

...

It was the eve before the battle. Most people spent what could be their final hours getting drunk whilst having a good time or sharing stories around a table over their favoured beverages. Others simply enjoyed their time with their families and friends, or alone if they preferred.

Syaoran and Sakura were finally alone after a long day of laughter, dancing and friendly banter with the group. Their room was dimly lit with the candles burning low, setting a romantic mood.

He hovered over Sakura's body as the two of them caught their breath after particularly passionate love making. Sakura lifted her hand, cupping his cheek as she smiled warmly. He leant in and kissed her softly, parting to rest his forehead against hers.

"Take my blood," she whispered pleadingly.

He laced his fingers with hers and leant in, his lips brushing against her neck making her shiver. Then, he bit into her neck. She threaded her fingers through his hair and her toes curled into the sheets as a sense of euphoria washed over her.

Syaoran parted after a moment or two to take in her beautiful features, her eyes fluttering open. She smiled up at him. He returned her smile and nuzzled her cheek.

"You should take my blood as well, Sakura." He murmured. "You need it."

Sakura pulled him in for another breathtaking kiss, parting for a brief second only to claim his lips again. A small groan crawled up the back of Syaoran's throat as Sakura kissed him hard and forced the two of them so shift so that she was on top of him. He slid his hand up her back and came to rest at the base of her neck while his fingers laced through her hair.

As they parted, their eyes met for what felt like an eternity. Then, Sakura leant in and sank her fangs into his neck. She parted and Syaoran tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as he smiled softly.

"I love you." He whispered.

She returned his smile and kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you too."

Recognising he wanted to move, Sakura shifted off him and watched as he opened one of the drawers of the bedside chest of drawers and pulled something out.

In his hand he held a small box. Sakura was sure her heart skipped a beat, wondering if it was what she thought it was.

"I know we haven't been together for very long-most people wait a few years before thinking about it-but I want you to know that one day I intend to marry you." He said as he opened the box to reveal a gold ring with pink and white diamonds set in the band.

"Oh Syaoran..." she whispered as her eyes welled up with tears of happiness.

"Sakura, will you marry me?"

"Yes." She whispered as she leant in to kiss him one again, parting to let him slide the ring onto her finger.

She wrapped her arms around him and snuggled close to him. In that moment, there was absolutely nothing that could ruin her mood-not even knowing that there was an incoming threat. She felt like the happiest and most blessed woman alive. And nothing could take that away from her.

...

Tension filled the air as everyone prepared to move to their designated destinations. Their entire strategy was hinged on getting the enemy within the city walls and then activating the large-scale spell. However, they needed the time to cast it-that was where everyone else came in. They needed a large distraction so that the enemy wouldn't figure out what was going on, and if any of the ten casters failed to cast in time, then they would ultimately fail. Everyone knew the risks, but they weren't backing down.

Syaoran finished strapping his knives and two guns to himself and sighed heavily as he looked out at the sky. Dark storm clouds were rolling in and the faint rumble of thunder could be heard. A soft knock on the door distracted him and he turned to find his father standing at the door.

"Dad-I thought you had already left." Syaoran spoke with surprise.

Syaoron smiled. "Yes, I'm leaving now, actually. I wanted to see you first, though."

"You make it sound like we'll never see each other again." Syaoran frowned.

"It's a possibility, kiddo." Syaoron smiled sadly.

Syaoran didn't say anything-he just stared at his father, hoping that they would both survive. Hoping that he wouldn't lose anybody he loved.

"Listen," Syaoron started, "When I left you alone those years back, I had to in order to keep you safe."

"I thought it was because you couldn't abandon the people of this world." Syaoran said with confusion.

"That was another reason, but you were and have always been my top priority. But...You've grown up and you're now making your own decisions." Syaoron smiled proudly, "You don't need my protection anymore."

"Dad, I... Thank you for everything you've done for me." Syaoran said.

His father smiled at him. "Stay on your guard out there. I'm afraid I must leave now."

Syaoran nodded and watched as his father left-for some reason, he had a foreboding feeling that something horrible was going to happen that he couldn't stop.

With one last look around his room, Syaoran left to meet Sakura downstairs where she was waiting alone. She smiled as he approached and held out her hand for him to take.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Not really." He confessed as he took her hand.

She squeezed his hand gently. "If it's any consolation, neither am I."

Syaoran laughed. "I guess it's a little comforting knowing I'm not the only one."

Sakura looked at him with a small smile and he returned it.

"I guess it's time for us to leave." He murmured.

Sakura nodded sadly. "Let's go."

Without another word, the two of them left hand in hand before parting within the walls of Alyria to head to their designated areas. Rain began to fall, landing on Syaoran's face as he walked. He broke into a run, slowing when he saw the pillar up ahead. It was one of the ten in the city-the pillars were made of a powerful stone called quarts that acted as a catalyst for extremely powerful spells, such as the one they wished to cast.

He came to a stop in front of the pillar, only to be startled as a loud explosion sounded. He watched before his very eyes as the quarts pillar collapsed in a pile of rubble, and amidst it all was a familiar black fluffy cat. Syaoran felt his stomach wrench as he realised who it was.

"SORA!" he shouted, running over to the cat.

He lifted her in his arms to find she was no longer breathing. Horrified that someone would do something so horrible to such a helpless creature, Syaoran cradled her broken body to his chest. Sora had been his companion ever since his father had left him-she had kept him company and had helped him through some hard times. She may have only been a cat, but to Syaoran, she was still a precious friend.

"Oh-does that familiar belong to you?"

His head shot up and his eyes landed on an unfamiliar face.

"Quiet Johan. He's not even worth your time." Kei said as he appeared at the man's side.

Syaoran quickly assessed the man named Johan-he appeared to be a traitor, judging by the fangs.

"Kei." Syaoran hissed.

Kei snorted. "Don't you look menacing. Sorry, but I have other things to attend to."

He turned to leave but stopped when a bullet flew past his ear. Surprised, he turned his head to see Syaoran was holding a gun.

Sora's body started to glow with a pale blue light and fade away.

Johan stepped in front of Kei, "I'll deal with him. You go on ahead."

Kei snorted. "Fine. See you at the palace."

He turned to leave and Syaoran fired off another shot aiming for his head, but Johan intercepted it with a shield.

"Sorry, you'll have to put up with me." He grinned.

Syaoran swore. He could hear more explosions nearby followed by shouting and screams of terror. They had not expected the enemy to attack so soon, and the quarts pillar was destroyed-the pillar they needed to cast the spell. The fight had barely begun and already, things were looking grim.

"Fuck."

...

Meanwhile, Sakura skilfully fought off several attackers as she surrounded herself with a wind barrier. She killed one, two then three hunters, followed by a traitor. The last time she had used her magics for violence was back when she had murdered her ex-fiance, and she had vowed never to use her magic in such a way again. But for the sake of the future, she knew she had to. She had accepted that fact when she had first fallen in love with Syaoran and was reminded of her purpose for fighting. She was by no means a warrior-death did not suit her. With every life she took, she was sure she lost a small part of herself along with them.

"Huh. So you do have it in you."

She spun around upon hearing Kei's voice and her eyes narrowed.

" _You_!" she snarled.

"Yes, me." He smiled evilly, "I'm surprised-you-"

Sakura didn't bother to let him talk. She attacked him head on, using every spell she could think of under the stars. Flustered, Kei stumbled backwards, just barely dodging her attacks. She removed her wind barrier to land a devastating blow, however he blocked it and took the chance to retaliate, kicking her into the brick wall behind her.

It crumbled and she fell to the ground, rolling across the pavement. Kei walked over and crouched over her body with a vicious smirk.

"You really think you can kill me?" he scoffed.

Sakura thrusted her arm forward aiming for his heart but misjudged her aim, jamming her silver knife into his shoulder. Kei leapt back howling in pain while she got back into her feet. Something warm ran down her face. She lifted her hand to touch the warm sticky substance and pulled it away to find it was blood.

Kei, however, spotted the ring on her finger. His rage and jealousy took complete control over him as he shook.

"You're engaged, now?"

"Yes, what's it to you?" she spat.

"I'll never let him have you!" Kei shouted.

Sakura waited for him to approach before she dropped her knife-while his attention was on the falling weapon, she grabbed her gun and fired off three bullets aimed for his chest, abdomen and leg. She watched as he fell to the ground in agony. There was no way he could move in his state, and he knew that. Sakura approached him slowly, her entire body trembling with rage towards him. It would be so satisfying to kill him. After all the suffering and abuse he had put her through...

He grinned up at her, "Go ahead," he laughed, "Kill me, go on!"

Sakura pointed her gun at his head. She wanted him to suffer. She wanted him to pay. Death was too easy-too kind.

"I won't let you take the easy way out." Sakura hissed. "You _will_ pay for your crimes."

Upon hearing her words, Kei's smile disappeared. A group of soldiers approached Sakura in a hurry.

"My lady! Are you alright?"

Sakura nodded. "I am fine. Bind this traitor. Don't tend to his injuries. He's to be put into an eternal sleep, just like he was meant to be." She ordered.

Kei turned pale. "You wench! You won't get away-"

His words were cut off when he was knocked out by one of the soldiers.

"Bloody hell, he just doesn't shut up." The soldier muttered.

"Tell me about it." The other soldier snorted.

Sakura turned her attention back to the task at hand and walked over to the quarts pillar to begin casting the spell. However, just as she began casting, several enemies appeared. And just as she feared not being able to cast the spell, a group of elves and other allies appeared.

"We'll hold them off for you, my lady!" one of the soldiers called to her.

Relief flooded through her veins. "I'm counting on you!"

* * *

 **Let me know your thoughts on this chapter :) Thanks for reading! Chapter 20 will be up on Monday (Australian time)**


	20. Annihilation

Screams of terror, gunfire and loud explosions deafened everyone's ears. It was rare for Artemis's predictions to be slightly off, but it did happen. Syaoron had not expected the enemy attack to begin so soon, however he was positive that it wouldn't completely derail their plan. He fought off his enemies with ease, but as soon as one enemy would fall another three would show up.

In the distance, a pillar of light shot up into the sky alerting him that one of the ten had successfully cast the first part of the spell and were waiting for everyone else. And, judging by which direction it came from and the magical energy he sensed, it was Sakura.

A few seconds later, another two pillars of light appeared, letting him know Dimitreu and Inga had managed to cast off the first part of the spell as well.

Frustrated, Syaoron manipulated the element of fire to wipe out those in front of him and then turned to begin casting, only to have several more enemies appear.

He had never been more thankful for his ability to divide his attention in two, which allowed him to cast the spell as well as protect himself. Unfortunately, his son and Sakura had not yet mastered that ability, so if they ran into trouble, they would need a diversion-luckily, that's what the other leaders were helping with.

Just as he finished casting the first half of the spell, Syaoron felt something terribly wrong. Blood. He could smell blood. His OWN blood. He looked down to find he had been run through with a sword, and lifting his gaze a little, he discovered it was just a child. A child whose eyes were full of hatred and disgust for him.

"Y-you..." he choked out before coughing up a large amount of blood.

"You killed my father!" the child screamed.

"I see..." he murmured, wondering who their father was. He had killed many in the war, so it was no surprise that there were grudges against him. But he couldn't die yet. He had a job to do and he would see it through to the end.

"Get away if you know what's good for you," he growled menacingly at the child, but they didn't budge.

"Don't misjudge me just because I'm a child." They retorted and moved to strike again.

Syaoron did not hesitate. As much as he hated the very idea of hurting the girl, she was a threat. If she killed him, it would mean the death of his son and the death of Sakura, and he couldn't bear to lose either of them. So, he killed her.

"My lord-you're bleeding!"

He looked over to see one of his soldiers running towards him.

"Leave me be," he commanded, "The next part of the spell needs to be cast any minute now. Cover me."

"Yes, my lord!"

...

Syaoran clutched his bleeding arm for a moment as he caught his breath. His opponent, Johan, was a skilled fighter and he was running out of time. Everyone else had cast off the first part of the spell and were waiting for him. He had to end it soon.

Thankfully he had already wounded Johan considerably, so he just needed the right chance to kill him. But there was also the case of the crumbled quarts pillar-how could he possibly…?

"You're out of bullets," Johan snickered, but yelped with surprise when the gun flew just millimetres away from his face.

Syaoran used the distraction to close the distance and he pulled a knife from his belt, thrusting the blade towards Johan's chest. Johan lifted his arm up in front of his chest and grit his teeth against the pain, but he didn't notice Syaoran's second gun until it was too late. Syaoran brought the gun up level with his enemy's eyes.

In one clean shot to the head, Johan was dead. His body crumpled to the ground and blood pooled around Syaoran's feet.

He turned to the crumbled pillar, not knowing what to do. He had to think and think quickly. He didn't know a great deal about the spell, but now that the catalyst was destroyed, he assumed they were well and truly screwed.

But something surfaced in his memory. He remembered a while back when he had been reading books from the library-he had read about catalysts, and how it was possible to utilise one's own body and life force as a catalyst depending on the circumstance. However, it could be detrimental to the person's life. He couldn't remember any more than that, but it was _something_ and he had to try.

So, he stumbled over to the area where the pillar had been and took a deep breath. Focusing all his energy inward and picturing his body as the catalyst, Syaoran mustered the strength to cast the spell.

...

Sakura was getting anxious. She hadn't seen the pillar of light from the area Syaoran was in, and she feared something terrible had happened to him. With her heart racing, she waited for a little longer. Maybe he was finishing someone off, she thought to herself, or maybe someone had finished him off.

That last thought paralysed her with fear.

"Just one more minute." She told herself.

Her prayers were answered when she saw the pillar of light appear, and immediately started the second part of the spell, the part that required absolute precision with their timing. She channelled all her energy into the spell, praying for the safety of her people and those she loved dearly.

Several seconds later, there was a flash of blinding light. Warmth spread through her body and she felt calmed and protected, reminding her of her mother's touch. A small tear slid down her cheek at the memory.

Across the lands of the Night World, the light spread, wiping out all the hunters and the traitors alongside them. It was not the ideal way to handle the war, but it had been deemed necessary and Syaoran had chosen to implement it as their absolute last resort. So, for the ten, it was not a happy victory. It was bittersweet and left the taste of death in their mouths, something they would carry with them for the rest of their lives.

The light faded and Sakura opened her eyes. She looked around to see that all trace of the enemy was gone. She had never really known what the spell truly did, but now she knew. The enemy was completely annihilated, leaving no trace left behind. No bones. Not blood. No bodies. She realised that this was the terrible truth she had heard in the tales of the spell. The tales did not exaggerate. The spell truly was as terrifying as it was powerful.

She walked amongst the ruins of the buildings around her. Soldiers looked around confused, not realising what had truly happened to the enemy. She passed the bodies of those who had died fighting or fleeing. Children, mothers, elders who had not been lucky enough to escape the brutal attack on the city.

While she was looking around, something felt terribly wrong on her heart. Her mind went straight to Syaoran, and fearing for his safety, she ran.

…

Syaoran was in absolute agony. He had succeeded in using his body as the catalyst, but the effects of doing so were detrimental. He coughed, hard, and blood spattered the ground beside him. Looking up at the stars peering through the dark clouds, Syaoran knew he was going to die. He wished he could see Sakura and his father once more before he went, but he knew it was highly unlikely to happen.

"Syaoran!" her voice sounded in the distance.

He smiled. It was rather cruel that he was imagining her voice in his final moments.

"Syaoran, open your eyes!"

He felt Sakura's arms envelop him. Her flowery perfume entered his nose and something warm dropped onto his face.

Mustering all his remaining energy, Syaoran opened his eyes to meet her terrified gaze.

"Sakura..." he rasped.

"What happened!?" she cried.

He coughed violently and Sakura looked around, seeing the broken quarts, and instantly realised what he had done.

"Why?" she sobbed, "Why did you sacrifice yourself?"

"It was the only choice," he rasped. "I'm sorry."

Sakura sobbed harder. "No," she whispered, "Don't leave me."

Syaoran felt tears well up in his eyes. He didn't want to die. He still wanted that future with Sakura.

"Sakura," he whispered her name, "Stay with me."

"I'm right here." She replied tearfully. She knew his body was beyond repair. Not even her magic could help him now.

She watched as his eyes slid shut and she fell into a fit of tears as she cradled him in her arms.

A glow caught her attention. She hiccupped as she watched the bottle that contained the essence of moonlight shattered, and the glowing substance spread across Syaoran's body. She watched as his wounds closed and mended themselves as colour returned to his face. All signs of pain disappeared from his expression as breathing became easier and his pulse stronger.

"My god..." she whispered with disbelief. Tears of relief dripped down her cheeks as she hugged him tight.

As his senses slowly returned, Syaoran realised that his pain had almost completely disappeared. He could hear Sakura's sobs, and in an effort to help calm her, he lifted his hand to cup her cheek. She smiled at him as she leant into his touch and allowed him to wipe her tears away. It was a miracle neither of them was expecting.

"I see the essence of moonlight has fulfilled its purpose." Artemis's voice sounded.

They both looked over to see the twins walking towards them. Judging by their own injuries, it appeared that they'd had some trouble as well.

"Artemis..." Sakura whispered.

"Can the two of you stand?" Luna asked.

Syaoran sat up carefully. While the wounds that had threatened his life had disappeared, that didn't mean his other wounds had. But he found the strength to stand with Sakura's help.

"You'll want to hurry. Your father doesn't have much time left." Artemis said solemnly.

Syaoran felt his chest tighten upon hearing her words and Sakura tightened her grip on him, praying it wasn't what she thought.

"Come on, Syaoran," she tried not to let her voice tremble and she was thankful when it didn't. Syaoran just nodded numbly.

They found Syaoron being tended to by a team of medics, though they all looked solemn. As soon as Sakura and Syaoran reached his side, Sakura looked at the attending medic who shook their head, telling her that there was nothing more they could do.

"Leave us," Syaoron spoke weakly, his voice barely audible.

The medics all stood and obeyed his order to leave.

"Dad-!" Syaoran croaked.

Syaoron smiled. "Good... you're safe."

"Dad, you're not going to..." Syaoran trailed off, too afraid to finish his sentence.

"These wounds..." Sakura sobbed.

"I'm sorry," Syaoron murmured.

Syaoran looked confused and scared. "Why are you apologising? You'll be fine, won't you?"

Sakura trembled as more tears slipped down her face.

"I'm afraid not." Syaoron smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Syaoran... I have to leave you again."

Syaoran felt everything go numb.

"I'm sorry about what I put you through." His father continued, "I'm proud of how far you have come."

"Dad, I..." Syaoran choked, "Please don't go."

"It's my time." Syaoron rasped, "I've been alive for such a long time... And now that the war is over, I can rest peacefully knowing that you will be safe."

Syaoran started to feel his eyes water, and tears slowly slid down his cheeks.

"Sakura, look after him for me." Syaoron added with a gentle smile.

Sakura somehow found the strength to return his smile despite her own tears and sorrow of knowing that he was leaving them.

"I will," she replied, "I promise."

Syaoron's face relaxed. "The two of you will be wonderful parents, I'm sure."

Syaoran and Sakura both looked at each other with confusion for a short moment, but they pushed it aside to ponder over it later.

"Syaoron..." Sakura whispered.

Approaching his last and final breath, Syaoron mustered the strength to get his final words out. His voice was barely audible, but they heard his words as if they were loud and clear.

"I love you both."

* * *

 **While reading through and editing this chapter, I made the grave mistake of playing 'My Only Love' from the 90's Sailor Moon anime and nearly made myself cry. Lmfao.**

 **Thoughts? Questions? Concerns?**


	21. Change

The aftermath of the next few days were spent rounding up the dead and cleaning the city as they grieved over the loss of loved ones, and during that time, a memorial was to be held to honour the dead who had given their lives. It was the least they could do to acknowledge the people who had fought and died-to acknowledge the grief in everyone's hearts.

Syaoran had been approached by the fairy queen Titania about the matter and she had asked if he would make a speech for it. However, Sakura had been against it-she felt it was unfair and cruel, especially since he'd just lost his father AGAIN, not to mention that he was still recovering from the fight. But Syaoran had agreed anyway.

So, there he stood in front of thousands of people, getting ready to speak. They all looked to him as they stood there solemnly, waiting for his words to echo across the courtyard. He took a deep breath and then released it slowly.

"Today, we are here to celebrate the lives of the people who gave their lives to protect ours, and future generations to come. We celebrate the lives of our mothers and fathers; our sisters and our brothers; our neighbours and friends; our husbands and our wives.

It is because of them that we are now able to know peace once again, and now it is our duty to them to uphold that peace, so their lives were not given away in vain. The lives that were sacrificed will always be remembered and kept close to our hearts in future days to come."

Then, Syaoran turned to Sakura who handed him a white lily, and he walked to the bottom of the steps of the Alyrian palace gates, laying it to rest. Sakura followed, then Luna and Artemis and everyone else. The leaders all stayed until it was over, but by then the sky was darkening as the night stars made themselves known in the sky.

After watching the last and final person place their flower down, Syaoran and Sakura returned to the castle in silence.

…

Grief hung thick in the air for many weeks after the devastating final battle, however rebuilding their society gave the vampires a good distraction from their pain. But for Syaoran, leading their people served only as a reminder of who he had lost.

Everyone told him that what he was feeling was natural whilst grieving, but he didn't want to be consoled. He didn't want their pity. Everyone tried to cheer him up as if they knew what he needed-everyone but Sakura and the two guards who had once served his father.

Standing in front of the memorial that had been erected in his father's honour, Syaoran stared unblinkingly at the marble statue. It was a little too extravagant for his tastes, but everyone else had insisted so he let them do as they pleased. He was too tired to argue with anyone, and too exhausted to lead.

Sakura hugged his arm, more to comfort him than anything else. She didn't say anything-there was nothing she could say that would ease his pain-but at least she could listen and support him. And that was what he needed the most.

"I don't know how I can lead everyone through this next phase of life without him being here." Syaoran murmured after a long silence.

Sakura lifted her head to look at him, and he smiled sadly.

"It was because of him that I didn't completely lose myself after being brought to the Night World."

She smiled softly. "He really loved you. Everyone could see that plain as day."

Syaoran was quiet for a moment, and Sakura could tell he had some inner turmoil he was trying to come to terms with.

"I was so angry at him for leaving me to think he had been dead all these years." He said, his voice cracking. "I know he had to leave me to protect his people and aid their survival, but even so..."

she squeezed his arm in a comforting manner. She hardly blamed him for feeling angry-anyone in his situation would. He took a deep breath and released it slowly.

"I can't let this consume me. I won't let his death be in vain." He murmured, "But..."

"Let yourself grieve, first." Dimitreu's voice sounded behind them.

Syaoran turned to see Inga standing at Dimitreu's side, both looking solemn.

"But I have to-"

"You'll do a better job when your head is more clear." Inga smiled kindly, "Look after yourself first."

Syaoran smiled a little. "Thank you for all you have done-for me, and my father."

"We would like to serve under you and Lady Sakura, if you would have us." Inga added.

Syaoran nodded. "Your help and support would be most welcome."

Inga and Dimitreu smiled in response, relieved that they could carry out Syaoron's dying wish-for the two of them to support his son once he was gone. Now, they could.

With one last look at his father's memorial, Syaoran took Sakura's hand and squeezed it gently.

"Let's head back-there is work to be done, and it won't do itself."

Sakura smiled, "Very well."

...

Upon returning to the castle, Sakura made her way to the underground chambers to see to unfinished business.

Kei.

After the devastating battle, she was surprised to find that Kei hadn't been wiped out with the rest of the enemy, and when she had sought counsel on the matter from Luna and Artemis, their answer was not one she wanted. She recalled their conversation just hours after finding him; the conclusion they had come to was that most of them never truly viewed Kei as an enemy-as a traitor. They hated him and despised him for what he had done, but in their hearts, they never truly viewed him as THE enemy.

It was difficult news for her to swallow, especially when she realised that she never truly viewed him as the enemy either. She hated him-loathed him for what he had done to her, but she just couldn't bring herself to view him the way she desperately wanted to.

And that made her feel disgusted with herself.

After everything the man had done to her, she couldn't view him as truly being a traitor to their people. For as long as she had known him since they were children, he had always been fiercely protective of their people. If there was one, tiny thing she could respect him for, it was that. The loss of so many of their people and his obsession with her had changed him, but even after that change, he still did whatever he could for his people. It was for that reason that she needed to talk to him before he was incarcerated.

She came to a stop in front of him. He was bound with multiple chains in order to keep him restrained-after all he was a blue blood and extremely powerful, so it was absolutely necessary to ensure he would never escape. She almost pitied him, seeing him bound so uncomfortably. But it disappeared as she reminded herself of what he had done to her-and to Syaoran.

"Hello, Kei." She murmured.

He twitched as he heard her voice but made no real effort to acknowledge her. Sakura didn't particularly care. She just wanted an answer to her question.

"Just so you know...Syaoran and I are getting married, soon." She told him.

She waited to see if he would respond, and as she had expected, he lifted his head to look at her. She didn't know how to describe his expression. He didn't look angry or anything remotely close to hatred, but he didn't look upset, either.

"Why are you _really_ here?" he asked. He sounded bored.

Sakura waited for a moment, wondering how she should phrase her question. Deciding it was best to just get straight to the point, she spoke.

"What was your real reason for betraying our people?" she asked.

He snorted. "Don't you know? It was to get back at you, and your stupid boy toy."

Sakura looked at him coldly. "Syaoran is not a toy." She snarled. "And I know that's not your real reason."

"You were going to incarcerate me. I think that's a pretty good motive for betraying you."

Sakura laughed mirthlessly. "That's not the real reason either."

"Oh? Then why did you come all the way down here, if you already know the answer?"

"Because I need you to confirm it." She replied. "Your real reason for betraying us was so you could destroy the hunters and traitors from the inside. You knew you were losing power amongst our people and that drove you mad. After all, all you wanted to do was protect them-and while you felt betrayed by the very people you loved, you couldn't bring yourself to truly hate them." She spoke, "You knew that if I incarcerated you, you wouldn't be able to protect our people. So, you chose to go to the enemy."

He did not smile. But he did look humiliated.

She added, "But then we took that away from you too."

Kei was quiet for a long moment. When he made no sign of responding, Sakura turned to leave.

"You're right." He said, "I'm surprised you figured it out."

With her suspicions confirmed, Sakura made for the staircase, but stopped when he continued.

"But you got something wrong." He said, "I had already infiltrated their ranks well before that boy toy of yours even came here. But he was unpredictable and a threat to my plan."

"So, you tried to _kill_ him?" she asked through gritted teeth.

All she got in response was laughter. Furious, Sakura made her way up the stairs and away from his mocking laughter, but even after she was well away from him, it still rang in her ears. She had so badly wanted it to be that he truly didn't care about their people at all, and as hard as he had tried to make it seem that he had done it all because he refused to let anything be taken from him, she knew. She knew he had done it for their people.

And that infuriated her.

It infuriated her because she wanted to despise him for everything he had done-especially for deserting their people-But he had sacrificed himself; his status, the respect people held for him, and everything he held dear. He had sacrificed it all to hold control over HER.

And it had almost succeeded. And that terrified her.

...

Upon returning to the common room, Sakura found Akiho sitting on the couch, reading her favourite book. Akiho noticed Sakura's presence and she closed her book to give her, her attention.

Sakura smiled, "You don't have to stop reading just because I'm here."

Akiho returned her smile. "I was reading while I waited for you," she confessed, "I thought you might like a nice cup of tea when you returned. Would you care for some tea?"

Sakura recognised that Akiho knew where she had been, and that she knew that she might not be feeling her best.

"Yes, that would be lovely." She replied with a smile.

The door opened and Tomoyo walked in with Yuna, both carrying an assortment of Sakura's favourite biscuits and cake.

"We have afternoon tea!" Tomoyo announced cheerfully as she placed everything down on the coffee table.

"We thought you might like something sweet after everything that has been going on." Yuna smiled, "Syaoran is due back soon, isn't he?"

As if right on cue, Syaoran walked in with Eriol following behind him.

"Ah, speak of the devil." Tomoyo laughed.

Syaoran raised his brow, "What?"

"Nothing-come and sit down for afternoon tea." Tomoyo said as she gently pushed him over to Sakura's side.

Syaoran looked at Sakura with some confusion and she smiled up at him as she tugged his arm. He sat down beside her, and Akiho began pouring tea for everyone while Tomoyo began serving the cakes.

Syaoran looked over at Sakura, noticing she seemed to be feeling upset, so he placed his arm gently around her shoulders. She looked at him and smiled gratefully, and then returned her attention to everyone around the table, immersing herself in conversation with them.

In that moment, Sakura knew that Kei would never hold control over her ever again.

...

Syaoran lay with Sakura in his arms late that night. It was a warm night, but they refused to let that stop them from taking comfort in each other's warmth and opted for just a sheet to cover their naked selves instead.

Sakura gently ran her fingers across his chest and down the bicep of his arm until she reached his hand, entwining their fingers together. She could sense there was something on his mind, something he'd been thinking about since the day the war had ended. She knew their relationship was in no danger, so she wasn't worried about that. She was concerned he was afraid of upsetting her for whatever reason, and she didn't want him to bottle it up.

"So," she started, "When are you going to talk to me about what's on your mind?"

Syaoran looked at her with surprise and she laughed softly.

"Yes, I know you've been wanting to talk with me about something-I just don't know what." She added.

Syaoran smiled and sighed. "I didn't mean to make you worry. Sorry."

She kissed him gently. "I forgive you, but only if you talk to me."

This time, he laughed. "Sorry, it's just that something dad said before he died has been bothering me. I wasn't sure how to ask you about it, or when the right time would be to talk about it, considering everything that's been happening."

Sakura looked at him expectantly, so he continued.

"Just before he died, he said we would be great parents... Is there something I don't know...?" he asked.

Sakura blinked. She was so caught off guard by the question, she couldn't even think of anything to say. As his words sunk in, she comprehended exactly what he was asking.

"I... it's possible...?" she replied.

He raised his brow. "You don't know?"

"Well-I, um-I haven't checked or anything, but now that I think about it, I have been experiencing some of..."

Sakura trailed off as the realisation of the possibility hit her full force. A child. _Their_ child.

She knew that Lord Syaoron was observant, but she didn't realise how observant. Her hand moved to rest over her womb as she thought of the possible future, and she looked up as his hand rested over hers.

His amber eyes were warm and full of love for her.

"I...I can't be certain." She whispered.

"That's okay." He smiled. "Regardless, it will happen one day."

Sakura felt her eyes water from the happiness she felt for him and the possibility of a new family. Syaoran kissed her softly. The thought of having their own child enlivened him-twelve months ago, he would have been terrified of the thought, but after what he had been through and after everything he had lost, the prospect of a family with the one he loved most in the world was a gift. It was a gift he would treasure forever, and he vowed that he would rebuild and restore the Night World for their sake.

* * *

 **I generally try to keep these notes short...**

 **HUGE THANK YOU to all of you amazing people for reading my work. I hope you enjoyed the story, and please don't hesitate to send me some constructive feedback. My regular readers will know that I'm always writing something hahaha, so keep an eye out for any new stories.**

 **I'm also currently working on a collaborated project with a friend of mine where I write one chapter and she writes the next (and so on and so forth). It's more of a writing exercise for the two of us, but keep an eye out if you're interested.**

 **I should be returning to Captive Bride shortly, so if you enjoy that story, then you can look forward to the next chapter. Unfortunately i'm still lacking inspiration for A New Beginning, which is frustrating because I want to write for it but my brain won't do the plot bunny thing for that particular story (ugh)**

 **Farewell for now! (for like a week LMAO)**


End file.
